For the sake of this review, I will be giving it 2 stars but on other platforms I will be refraining from starring it.

Rodham is a fictionalized memoir type novel about an alternative timeline in which Hilary Rodham Clinton had not married Bill. It was a fascinating read albeit very long and tedious. Overall I enjoyed the story but it did take me a while to actually finish reading it because I would set it aside to read or do other things. It never quite caught my attention enough to want to finish in one go. The book read like a memoir, being told from the perspective of a future Hilary looking back on her life and path to the presidency.

I do like alternate history stories so I was intrigued by the concept of Rodham but was almost immediately put off by the very sexual nature of this novel. It is an adult literary fiction novel so I’m not knocking it for that reason but for the fact that it caused too much of a focus on relationships and these crude behaviors despite that apparently not being what the focus is supposed to be according to the summary.I was hoping for a hard hitting story about female success and the struggle to break the glass ceiling but what I got instead was a heavy reflection on relationships and a surface level look at women in politics with a lackluster ending.

The way that this book was written ended up leaving me questioning the ethics behind writing about living people. It was quite graphic about the sexual nature of the relationship between HIlary and Bill and if it read more like a novel and less like a fictionalized memoir I may have been able to let this slide more than I already was but I really couldn’t imagine this Hilary writing so freely about her sex life. There were a lot of scenes in this book that made me highly uncomfortable and I had to make myself fictionalized the people because I couldn’t allow myself to keep reading if I thought of the real life Clintons.

Rodham had so much potential to go in depth about the experiences of a single woman in politics. It could have focused on sexism and personal growth as Hilary pursued higher offices. There were a few moments where we saw glimpses of this but most of her journey was glossed over instead to focus on how Bill Clinton continued to be a part of her life even after their breakup. His influence on the story heavily detracted from the quality. There were a number of heavier topics that were briefly mentioned, such as racism, that were ultimately brushed over in order to fill more pages with romance and relationship issues. Then the ending not only felt rushed but was also incredibly painful to read. It felt inappropriate to once again give a voice to someone who has caused the United States countless problems.

This was a questionable read for the current political times and while I don’t regret reading it, I don’t think now was the time to publish something like this. In fact, I’m not sure if writing about real people when they’re still alive is something I’ll ever be interested in reading again. 2016 and beyond have been tumultuous and using an alternate universe to try and amend the wrongs that have taken place in the United States falls flat of any message I could think the author may have been trying to get across. I think that there are ways that alternate history can be written in a tasteful and educational way and this was just not it.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy of Rodham! This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and I am grateful for it to have arrived. I love Curtis Sittenfeld's writing and this is a great addition to my shelf. This reimagining is a fascinating look at what Hillary's life could have been like without Bill.

I went in with lowered expectations after seeing reviews and found it to be entertaining and propulsive. It reads like a memoir of alternative history.

The premise of this one fascinated me— it’s fictional and centered on the question “what if Hillary hadn’t married Bill?”

Like with American Wife by Sittenfield (also fiction, based loosely on the life of Laura Bush), I felt like this one was 200 pages too long and incredibly slow, and ultimately, I just think the writing style isn’t for me.

The concept was better than the execution here, in my opinion, although it was interesting to see an alternate political reality play out for HRC.

It was fun to live in a world where men didn't destroy HRC. Sigh. (It really was enveloping and clever).

This book’s premise is intriguing: what if Hillary didn’t marry Bill? Sittenfeld weaves a convincing alternate reality where Hillary Rodham meets and dates Bill Clinton when they are both at Yale for law school — then decides not to marry him. The story is clever and not predictable. If you’re a fan of American politics, you’ll enjoy this. Recommended.

Thank you, Random House, for the gifted early ecopy. I also purchased a physical copy for my shelf.

I’m so excited to finally share my thoughts with you on this book. It’s one I looked forward to all summer long, and I literally enjoyed every sentence. This was my first book from Curtis Sittenfeld, and I found her writing flawless. She pulled me right in to the heart of this story, and my interest never waned, even at over 400 pages.

If you aren’t aware, the premise is that Hillary Rodham does not marry Bill Clinton. What direction does her life take instead? If you have had a hard time accepting Hillary as is, I think this book may give you some insight even though it’s fiction. I was already a fan, and I still gained so much insight into her character and the whys and hows (I know, it’s fiction). It’s funny because, as I write this review, I’m listening to In Her Own Words, by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. One of the first things she describes is her love for her husband and how he was willing to love an intellectual, powerful woman, and how rare that is and was, especially for that time.

Back to Rodham, I could not put it down. It’s steamy- wow, steamier than anything I’ve read recently, smart, and insightful. There’s good tension, too, as you follow along to see what will happen next for Hillary. I thought the whole thing was brilliant.

Let me start by saying I have so many questions about this book. First, how / why did Sittenfeld choose to use Hillary’s real name and image on the cover (she used a fictional name when she wrote American Wife, a similar book about Laura Bush)? Second, is it possible that this novel was Hillary’s way of getting certain regrets out there that she hasn’t been able to voice publicly (i.e. Why did she marry Bill? Did she know about his womanizing and dirty political tactics from the beginning? Why / how did she tolerate it all?). I realize this is a bit of a conspiracy theory, but it would also explain why / how Sittenfeld was allowed / chose to use Hillary’s real name and likeness. The story itself is immersive and raises topics that are fascinating to think about (i.e. How would a Bill / Hillary non-marriage have changed the trajectory of the entire country? How would Bill be received by the public in a post #MeToo world?). This book is also divisive…Hillary is portrayed extremely sympathetically (I wish there had been a little more nuance here) and Bill is absolutely slammed (i.e an outrageously charismatic man-child who’s also a sexual predator). Readers that never liked Hillary probably won’t like this book. That being said, I’m not a super political person, but I’ve always been somewhat fascinated by the Clintons. They’re both so contradictory in many ways (and therefore compelling to read about) and that shines through in this book. 4 stars!

While this was an interesting premise, I found that I just didn't care. All politics aside, it just didn't seem to matter. Maybe this story would have had more impact if it were a fictional character rather than someone who is still living? I'm not sure, it just didn't click for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional what if Hillary hadn't married Bill Clinton. Sittenfeld is a master at imagining the other side of the story as she did with American Wife.

Though I was initially unsure if I’d like this novel, I was definitely intrigued from the get go. What WOULD Hillary Rodham’s life look like if she hadn’t married Bill Clinton? Sittenfeld creates an incredibly immersive story that effortlessly weaves fact and fiction.

While dirty and uncomfortable at times, simply by virtue of the fact Rodham and Clinton are real people (and political figures at that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading whatever the author writes next as I very much appreciated her strong character development, story depth, and writing in general.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review!

I wanted to really love this book and did enjoy it but it wasn’t my favorite from an author I typically enjoy. This may simply be because it felt slightly predictable and a little depressing since 1.. this story didn’t happen in reality and 2. What actually happened for Hillary and in light of our current political climate it is a bitter pill to swallow. That being said - the writing was great and in a different time and place (maybe a few more years down the road) a re-read and fresh perspective may change my feelings.

I give this story 3.5 stars. It is definitely an interesting take on the life of Hillary Rodham Clinton if she had just stayed Hillary Rodham and not married Bill Clinton. While some parts were awkward to read, so much of the book was really thought-provoking. The author did a fascinating job of bringing this to life as if it were historical fiction and not alternative fiction; I found myself wanting to search some of these fictional characters to learn more about them! This book would definitely provide a lot for book clubs whether you like Hillary as a person/politician or not.

Sittenfeld's imaginary 'what if' story - if Hillary had never married Bill - is both thought provokiing and timely. Another hit for this author.

I loved “America Wife,” so I was excited to read this. This was a great exploration of the challenges and barriers that ambitious women face in politics, and perhaps the U.S. as a whole.

Wow Curtis Sittenfeld always hits it out of the park! I love alternative histories and this book completely fulfilled that! I love the what if idea of how things could have been different! Such an interesting book and a very good read!

This engaged me from the start, and no doubt it will be popular with a variety of readers. A rewarding fiction of what might have been. While the true history of Hillary Rodham and Bill Clinton is common knowledge, it was easy to buy in to this new and different story. The author’s handling of her Donald Trump character is masterful!

I was really looking forward to this and was excited by the premise. What if Hillary Rodham hadn’t married Bill Clinton?

Unfortunately this one wasn’t working for me and I’m going to DNF. There are a lot of details that feel unnecessary and less of a true sense of Hillary that I hoped for. I appreciate the concept but the execution fell short for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the free review copy.

I was hoping this book would be more interesting than it was. It was a reimagining of Hillary's life, but it was still so centered around Bill. I wish they made her life like a "what could it have been?" but without Bill, she kept missing him and it was just so sad. I wish the author had done more with the story than make her missing Bill pretty much the whole time. Unfortunate story choice.

If ever there was a prime candidate for my "elusive" shelf this book is it. Curtis Sittenfeld is an author well trafficked in what I think of as "what might have been" fiction. Whether she's setting the cast of Pride and Prejudice in 2019 or reimagining the life of Barbara Bush in American Wife she seems endlessly fascinated by the what if's in fictional and real worlds.

In the case of Rodham its a reimagining of the life of Hillary Clinton had she passed on the opportunity to ever become Hillary Clinton. Sittenfeld instead gives us a world where Hillary says no to Bill's passionate proposals of marriage and instead begins a long and storied life as a career politician.

There's something deeply weird about this book. I can't entirely put my finger on what that is. It's partly getting my arms around the idea that this a fictional alternate autobiography of a living person I admire. Reading pretty graphic descriptions of her sex life is a bit like hearing your mom talk about doing it with you dad.

There's also the matter of Sittenfeld's writing which is, as it always is, superb. She has an uncanny ability to capture whatever kind of voice she wants for her narrator completely perfectly. I'm not kidding you can literally hear Hillary Clinton in your head when you read this. But again that uncanniness is unsettling somehow.

Then there's the timing. Let's face it, it's a rough time to get a work of fiction about a future with this kind of Hillary. It's hard to get to see so realistically what that world might have looked like, what it might have done for the country, for the way we see and treat women had she forged her own path without Bill. Sittenfeld so completely nails the misogyny Hillary and our country are mired in that the reader's longing for her to overcome it and win is almost palpable. I very much wanted all her victories to be real and had to keep reminding myself that this was a work of fiction.

We're staring directly into the face of some very hard truths about our country right now. Truths that have existed for hundreds of years that for some reason we (primarily meaning white Americans) were strangely content to acknowledge might be kinda serious but not serious enough to do anything about. It's that complacency that troubles me the most. Ignorance can be understood as, well, ignorance. You can educate ignorance. Complacency is harder to explain away and impossible to justify. I mean what can you say? Sorry we all kind of knew it sucked but we were just really busy?

It's hard to look at the world Sittenfeld's Hillary lives in because fictional or not it IS our world. A world where an educated, dedicated public servant can be reviled and degraded and laughed at simply because she's a woman. Where she can do all the same things that the men around her do, want the same kind of success, deserve the same kind of success and be told she's too manlike or that she just doesn't understand her role.

People still think this way. People still think a woman's place is raising children and baking cookies and that we can't control the nuclear weapons because WWIII will surely start the second a female president goes on the rag.

While ultimately triumphant there's a terrible thread of sadness and unrealized dreams that run through the narrative of this book. The idea that a woman will always have to choose between a career and a family and that she'll be vilified no matter what she decides is so damn absurd but so hard to let go of in our country for some reason. It's hard, even in a fictional context, to be reminded of that. Hillary's success comes at a cost that the men around her don't have to pay and that's a truth any woman who tries to succeed in a world dominated by men faces again and again and again.