by Fiona Hill
First published 2021
Fiona Hill chronicles her journey from a dying mining town in northern England to the highest levels of American government. Her father told her to leave their decaying community where mines had shuttered and hope had vanished. Hill followed his advice, studying in Moscow and Harvard before serving three American presidents as a foreign policy expert. She became a naturalized citizen and eventually testified in President Trump's first impeachment inquiry. Throughout her career, Hill recognized disturbing parallels between her impoverished hometown, declining regions in Russia, and forgotten communities across America. She argues that economic desperation in overlooked places fuels the populist movements threatening democratic institutions. Hill contends that America risks following Russia's authoritarian path unless it addresses the lack of opportunity in abandoned regions. Drawing from her experiences as both an immigrant and policy maker, she presents her case for why expanding economic prospects in neglected areas represents democracy's best defense against extremism.
Genres: non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, current-affairs, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: England, Moscow, Harvard, America, Russia
Period: 21st Century
432 pages · Hardcover · Mariner Books