This is not a political post

I try so hard not to post anything political on my Facebook page. As I finished reading Katy Tur's memoir of covering the Trump presidential campaign of 2016, I wondered how I was going to present the book without being too political.

The memoir was interesting. I wanted it to be fascinating. I had very high hopes for it and on many levels they were met. It was much more about Katy Tur and her career than about the campaign, but that was okay. She spoke with an authentic voice and her writing style was very easy to get through. This wasn't meant to be a historical accounting by any means - although it does cover some pretty important history. It's more about Katy's life during the campaign. I'd recommend it to anyone who got to know Katy Tur and enjoy her reporting during the campaign. She also gives you much of her personal self. It was a pleasure getting to know her.

Prior to reading Unbelievable, I wondered how different correspondents got selected to cover which particular candidates. Turns out that it was probably a little more random than I'd thought about before. That was surprising. I learned why I'd never really heard of Katy Tur before.

What was very remarkable was Katy Tur's upbringing. I'd heard her speak on "Take Your Child to Work" day last spring, about how she had been in a news helicopter over LA during the Rodney King riots. At the time, I was fascinated. This part of the book did not disappoint.

Katy Tur was the embodiment of "fake news" during the last presidential campaign. She was called out often by Trump at rallies. Sometimes it seems like he was flirting with her. Other times it seems as though he was threatening. Even when he wasn't threatening, it seems as though some of the mobs at his rallies did threaten Katy. Reading about her fears was absorbing. A few times she mentioned her mother fearing for her safety. My kids are not much younger than Katy is. Putting myself in her mother's place, there would have been a very fine line between being proud of my daughter for the job she was doing and frantically worrying about her safety at all times. Not to mention what a grueling job it is to follow a presidential campaign from start to finish. She covered the campaign with polish and class.

I think that's all I'm going to say.

Feel free to comment or ask questions about the memoir. Please don't post anything political. Thanks.