Plenty Ladylike A Memoir by Claire McCaskill

Plenty Ladylike - by Clair McCaskill with Terry GaneyBOOK REVIEW January, 2015

PLENTY LADYLIKE A Memoir

AUTHOR:  CLAIRE McCASKILL With Terry Ganey

From the moment they are born, most young girls are trained to be ladylike, with an awareness of the need to demonstrate the quality of refinement in their every gesture and, particularly, their every spoken word.  Claire McCaskill was taught these things, but her parents also instilled in her the instinct to be determined and aggressive in anything she set out to achieve.  They were pivotal in indoctrinating their daughter with the idea that a woman can be assertive, strategic and, in so doing, excel in any endeavor she set her sights on…particularly those that were politically-based…and still remain a lady.  Although she struggled and discerned that being labeled an ‘ice queen’ can sometimes cause unwanted reversals, this senator from Missouri never lost sight of the importance of the fact that being bold, resolute and forceful can be very refined, indeed.

“ You’re too young.  Your hair is too long.  You’re a girl.  No way are you tough enough for politics.  Those politicians in Jeff City’d eat you alive.  Go find yourself a husband.”  These exclamations came from a constituent whom Claire encountered as she went door to door trying to convince people to vote for her as a state representative.    Statements like these, and other subjective rants, did not deter her quest for political appointments or any other challenge she accepted. As a lawyer, she gained respect and recognition for her prosecution of arson cases.  As a member of government, she raised questions and concerns regarding the abuse of women, among other things, and increased awareness of the need for legislation to protect their rights.  The ‘good ole boy’ mentality lurked in every nook and cranny of government and she engaged with the best of them.   When told she needed to bring a set of knee pads when approaching a senior congressman in order to prevail, she held firm to her standards and refused to comply.  If one had to choose words that best describe her performance in the political arena they would include: erudite, tenacious, candid, steadfast, determined.  However, the most comprehensive word attributed to her success in politics would be compromise.   Claire learned early on that the latter is key to moving forward in government and is imperative when serving the people and, in turn, the nation.

If you are looking for a book that is thrilling, exciting, suspenseful in its depiction of the life of a politician, this is not the book for you.  If you are seeking a plethora of intoxicating, intriguing, exhilarating expositions of a woman who persevered and achieved in the world of government over unbelievable odds, this is the book for you.  Claire McCaskill reminds us that being a woman should never be a deterrent but rather a call to arms to reach that unreachable goal and to do so with dignified tenacity, refined invincibility and inspirational self-confidence.  Nothing could be more ladylike than that!