by Andrew Young
First published 2010
Andrew Young joined John Edwards's Senate campaign in 1998 as an idealistic volunteer. He quickly became Edwards's closest aide and confidant as the senator rose to national prominence. Young handled increasingly questionable tasks for his boss over a decade of loyal service. The situation reached a breaking point when Edwards asked Young to help hide his adultery with Rielle Hunter. Days before the 2008 presidential primaries, Young publicly claimed he was the father of Hunter's unborn child to protect Edwards's campaign. Young went into hiding with his family and Hunter while Edwards continued pursuing the presidency and later a role in the Obama administration. Edwards had promised Young he would eventually tell the truth and protect his aide's career. Edwards broke both promises. Young watched his boss's hubris destroy not only Edwards's marriage and political future, but also Young's own life and faith in the political process.
Genres: non-fiction, biography-memoir, political-thriller, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: betrayal, unreliable-narrator
Period: 1998, 2008
320 pages · Hardcover · Thomas Dunne Books