
Finding My Voice
My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward
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Narrated by:
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Valerie Jarrett
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By:
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Valerie Jarrett
About this listen
A New York Times best seller
Finalist for the NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Literary Work"
"Valerie has been one of Barack and my closest confidantes for decades.... [T]he world would feel a lot better if there were more people like Valerie blazing the trail for the rest of us." (Michelle Obama)
"The ultimate Obama insider" (The New York Times) and longest-serving senior advisor in the Obama White House shares her journey as a daughter, mother, lawyer, business leader, public servant, and leader in government at a historic moment in American history.
When Valerie Jarrett interviewed a promising young lawyer named Michelle Robinson in July 1991 for a job in Chicago city government, neither knew it was the first step on a path that would end in the White House. Jarrett soon became Michelle and Barack Obama's trusted personal adviser and family confidante; in the White House, she was known as the one who "got" him and helped him engage his public life. Jarrett joined the White House team on January 20, 2009 and departed with the First Family on January 20, 2017, and she was in the room - in the Oval Office, on Air Force One, and everywhere else - when it all happened. No one has as intimate a view of the Obama years, nor one that reaches back as many decades, as Jarrett shares in Finding My Voice.
Born in Iran (where her father, a doctor, sought a better job than he could find in segregated America), Jarrett grew up in Chicago in the '60s as racial and gender barriers were being challenged. A single mother stagnating in corporate law, she found her voice in Harold Washington's historic administration, where she began a remarkable journey, ultimately becoming one of the most visible and influential African-American women of the 21st century.
From her work ensuring equality for women and girls, advancing civil rights, reforming our criminal justice system, and improving the lives of working families, to the real stories behind some of the most stirring moments of the Obama presidency, Jarrett shares her forthright, optimistic perspective on the importance of leadership and the responsibilities of citizenship in the 21st century, inspiring listeners to lift their own voices.
©2019 Valerie Jarrett (P)2019 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"A stirring volume illuminating the power of intelligence and grace...Jarrett narrates her journey from Iran, where she was born to American parents, to the West Wing, where she was one of President Obama's most trusted advisers." (O, The Oprah Magazine)
"Jarrett had charted an ideal path for herself - 'law school, work, marriage, baby, bliss.' Then her marriage...imploded. She was a single mom and a miserable, mediocre associate at a law firm. The separation and subsequent soul searching prompted her to leave the firm and climb into Chicago politics. The rest was history.... Jarrett’s early struggles relay a...life lesson. Her early, mistaken view was that 'it was somehow a sign of strength if I had the self-control to never waver from my intended course.'” (The New York Times)
"[Jarrett] shares the stories you're dying to hear about what it's like to advise (and just hang out with) former President Barack Obama." (Bustle)
What listeners say about Finding My Voice
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-09-21
Valerie Jarrett Makes it Real
Powerful, honest, insightful. Rare view of the executive level heart and strength. Well done!
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- kt
- 02-25-22
Good
If you have read Barack and Michelle’s book then there is not much here outside of her personal life since their lives were closely entwined. Otherwise its a very nice read.
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- Kaley
- 12-29-22
Powerful storytelling
A truly moving book not just about Valerie, but all of the people who shaped her life and their amazing stories. She doesn't been to list out leadership principles or lecture on any topic, she simply tells their stories - and hers - and the result is a book full of powerful narratives that inspire, move, and impart wisdom
Especially for readers like myself whose perspective is more recent, her ability to share perspective across time and culture is especially meaningful in today's climate.
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- Reading Enthusiast
- 09-20-19
Love Valerie Jarrett!
Beautiful story which gives the reader an inside view of life at the White House from the perspective of one of President Obama’s most trusted advisors.
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- moe sims
- 06-19-19
outstanding
outstanding. best book ever. close look at White House. endearing. inspirational. loved this wonderful book.
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- BADancer
- 12-27-19
Very Good Listen
This book provides a wide perspective on the rise of Obama, the major supporters of his agenda and the obstacles that they alll had to face with dignity and decorum. Valerie Jarrett''s. place of birth and upbringing give us a much broader view of the US issues. This book is historical and educational.
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- Jsus rls
- 06-11-19
EXCELLENT book!
The story and information interwoven expertly to make this fascinating education and entertainment. LOVED it.
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- Renee Bryant
- 03-30-23
Very encouraging
I listen to this book right at a moment in my life, where I needed encouragement to keep going to strive higher. I really enjoyed learning about Ms. Jarrett. This book is vital to our American history.
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- Maye
- 04-09-19
Loved it! Maye
Great book, kept my interest from the beginning to the end. It’s a must read! I highly recommend this book.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Letary 1228
- 05-21-19
SUCH A GREAT READ!
Ms. Jarrett's entire life story is sooo inspirational. If you are true to yourself & work hard, you can accomplish anything
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