Megyn Kelly cries a lot. At least that's the impression I get when I read this book. That may be her way of trying to show her vulnerability or some part of her personality rather than 'miss perfect.' She talks about that in the book quite a bit, but for me it didn't quite come through. If this were a fiction novel I would say the main character had no depth, because you just don't really know how she felt inside about most of the events in her life that she talks about. She is a proud mother who loves her children very much, though. That comes through clearly.
The book starts with her childhood, with descriptions of her family life and how she was raised by her parents. There is a lengthy part about how for one year the popular girls at her school ostracized her and bullied her, and how she spent much of the time alone and crying. They suddenly decided they liked her again after a year and she was back in the group. Her response to that seems to have carried through the rest of her life.
She grew up and went to law school and then spent several years working for two different law firms and was a very successful lawyer before she decided to make a career change and set out to become a news reporter. There was one thing I noticed in this part of the book that seemed contradictory to something she said later. When she was beginning to realize she hated being a lawyer, she was working terrible hours and had no life outside of work. She used to sit in her car after work and cry before going home. She explains she couldn't cry in her office because she couldn't show the vulnerability. She waited until after work, when she was safe alone in her car. Her car was her safe space, although she doesn't literally say that. Later she criticizes universities for providing safe spaces for students who feel they need them. What she seems to fail to realize is that some college students don't have their own cars and college dorms do not always provide any privacy. Why would a person who has clearly found a need for a safe space in her own life criticize universities for trying to help their students who might need the same thing?
When she got her first job as a news reporter she was surprised that there was really no requirement for journalism experience. She doesn't seem to understand that she wasn't hired to be a journalist. She was hired for her ability to quickly and clearly report the facts about an incident. That's it. Later, when she moved to television, she thought she had become a journalist, but she hadn't. She was a lawyer who was hired to be a pundit. Journalists find the facts of a story and report them without judgment or bias. They report the story as they learn it and as complete as possible. Pundits are like lawyers, in that they choose a side on an issue and argue for that side only. In the book Kelly mentions one show she is very proud of that she was told showed she is a great journalist. For that show she had Dinesh D'Souza appearing and needed someone to 'go against him,' so she was able to get Bill Ayers to appear. She says she's not a pundit, but journalists are not adversarial by nature; that is what pundits do. Megyn Kelly is a pundit; not a journalist.
The longest chapter in the book, probably the reason she wrote the book in the first place, was her 'year of Trump.' In it she describes a year of relentless cyberbullying from Donald Trump and harrassment from his supporters that at some times made her fear for her life. In the end she surrendered. She went to Trump Tower and met with him in person. After a year of irrational harassment, she let the man hug her. In his mind she kissed the ring. She may as well have been on her knees before him when she did that. She says that after that she needed to 'remember who she was' and not let that define her. But it does define her. Just like when she was a little girl, after a year of torment from the other girls, she just went right back to them when they were ready to accept her again. And after she finished telling the story of her year of Trump, she went back to criticizing the people she says created the 'Cupcake Nation,' saying if she had been coddled like that when she was growing up she wouldn't have been able to handle that year as well as she did. Except she didn't handle it at all. She surrendered. Her message to anyone who might ever go through similar harassment is suck it up because others have had it worse. It seems when she wrote the book she was in denial because she claims the whole ordeal somehow made her stronger.
As she was finishing this book, the stories of Roger Ailes sexually harassing Gretchen Carlson and other women started coming up. Her description of the sexual harassment she herself endured from Roger Ailes only further illustrate her inability to fight back against the mistreatment. It took nine years and Gretchen Carlson before she finally spoke up about that. She talks about how she spoke up to help keep this from happening to other women, but she doesn't even acknowledge that it was Gretchen Carlson who really stepped up for them.
I actually liked the book. I think she was honest, but I don't interpret her stories the way she does. That much is clear.
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John Johnson
Megyn Kelly cries a lot
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2018Verified Purchase
Natalie
First half is great, then a few troubling comments
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2019Verified Purchase
Randi Kreger
Things you need to know about Megyn Kelly
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2020Verified Purchase
Kathy Jaeckel
A great book for anyone who wants to learn how to gracefully come into their power.
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2017Verified Purchase
Cheryl Klein
Lots of hype, no delivery, left hanging
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2017Verified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Paul Alexander Rusling
Well-founded advice, easily read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 21, 2020Verified Purchase
Paolina
Superb!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2021Verified Purchase
Mr Q Appy
A very good biography
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2018Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Loved it! The only disappointment was Megan spent so ...
Reviewed in Canada on December 10, 2016Verified Purchase
Ruth Adams
I really enjoyed this book
Reviewed in Canada on December 22, 2016Verified Purchase