Once I got over the Bill and Hillary sex scenes, I LOVED this book. Hillary Rodham the character is treated with respect but not glorified. This is a fantastic take on feminism, academics, friendship, and loyalty. It is the perfect antidote to what has actually transpired from 2016-20. It's a realistic but not jaded look at current politics and the machine that runs our system.

I loved this book! A novel of what could have been Hilary Clinton’s life had she NOT married Bill! I have always enjoyed Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing & this book is no exception...definitely recommend!!

I tried several times to read this, but finally I had to give up. I was hoping for a fun take on what might have been, but it was dry and dull. What a disappointment.

An interesting and highly readable revision of Hillary Clinton's history as imagined by one of my favorite novelists.

I’m a big fan of Sittenfeld’s work. I loved her short stories, You Think It, I’ll Say It, and I loved American Wife, the fictional story of a First Lady very much like Laura Bush. So a fictional what-if story about Hillary? I’m all in for that - I could not wait to read this book. What if she doesn’t marry Bill Clinton? That’s the premise of Rodham.

Now that I’ve finished reading, I’m struggling to formulate a review. I’m going to be vague in my thoughts because I want to keep this spoiler-free. The book really is great. It’s an interesting concept, and the alternate universe that is created is mind blowing in ways. Told through Hillary’s perspective, complete with her inner most thoughts and feelings, I had to keep reminding myself it’s fiction, but certainly the ugliness of politics is real and it’s very disheartening. There were parts of the story that made me so uncomfortable and left me wondering what Sittenfeld’s actual feelings are about the Clintons and politics in general (not that it matters, but a Google search tells me she’s a Democrat). In many ways, I think the storyline created here would be much better than the reality we’re living, but I suppose many would find that debatable. That’s the beauty of a good book, I may not have loved everything about this one but it made me feel and it made me think. I’m so curious to read more reviews on this one!! Let me know if you’ve read it or plan to.

Really enjoyed this in-depth, beautifully written alternate history of one of the most influential women alive. Sittenfeld breathes life into her fictional Hillary. She takes her creation on a brand-new trajectory and gives her a great alternate timeline. The choice of first-person narration gives the book the feel of a memoir which helped transport me into the story and into her head. I am a big fan of Sittenfeld's writing and she definitely did not disappoint with her new book.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I didn’t read anything about this book beforehand and for some reason, I thought it would be a fictional version of Hillary’s life with historically accurate timelines/events. Although some storylines in the book really did happen, I was wrong - it was an imagining of what could have been had Hillary not married Bill.

I did enjoy this book quite a lot. However, I thought it could have been shorter - there were times when the pacing was much too slow. I could have done without ALL of the Bill/Hill sex scenes - there was a lot of them. I am also a bit disappointed I didn’t get to read about the Monica Lewinsky debacle from a fictional Hillary’s perspective - would have been so interesting! The author did a great job with Donald Trump’s dialogue - spot on. I would be very interested to know what Hillary thinks of this book, if she ever reads it. Seems like a bit of a risk, but one I’m glad the author took. 4 stars.

I love all of Curtis Sittenfeld's books, and this one was no exception! It blends fact with fiction, and basically asks the question, What if Hillary had never actually married Bill? There's a bit of a slow start, but the book really takes off at a certain point and I just couldn't put it down. Definitely looking forward to recommending this to readers.

An alternative Hillary universe is one many of us have contemplated often since 2016. Sittenfeld’s Rodham offers enough facts within the reimagined history to satisfy both political junkies and historical fiction lovers. The writing is solidly engaging, creating a Hillary that in many ways I felt I knew.

<i>Rodham</i> is a fictionalized account of Hillary Rodham Clinton - about what would have happened if her life track changed and SHE became president instead of Bill.

A longtime fan of Sittenfeld’s, I was anxious to read this novel and while I enjoyed most parts, the painting of Bill as a sex addict, as well as their repeated escapades, felt....weird.

I did love how Sittenfeld seemed to really get inside HRC’s history and nuances- literally like he was truly writing her own biography.

*I was given a free eBook copy of this book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review*

What if Hillary had never married Bill? That is the question this incredible, insightful, book asks in its alternate history of the public figure we know as Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In the real world, Hillary met Bill Clinton at Yale Law School, fell in love with him, moved to Arkansas to support his political dreams and goals, married him, had a daughter, and set the family on its course to being one of the most powerful political forces in American history. Overly simplified, it has a governorship and presidency for Bill, two historic Presidential campaigns and a stolen Presidency for Hillary; and much, much more. This family is forever etched in history.

This book peels all of that back to its beginnings. Hillary still meets Bill at Yale Law School, they still fall in love, and she still moves to Arkansas to help him with his political dreams. This familiar tale takes up the majority of the first half (though it can at first be a bit uncomfortable when internal dialogues and sex are described in vivid detail.) But that is where the similarities end. Instead of agreeing to marry him the third time he pops the question (we're all familiar with this story by now), she ends the relationship after a scandal comes to light and Hillary realizes she can do better. She leaves Bill in Arkansas and returns home to Chicago to begin again.

This is when the novel really takes off and becomes so compelling it is hard to put down. What does Hillary Rodham do when she is not a part of the Clinton dynasty? The answer is both surprising and familiar.

********** SPOILERS********** SPOILERS************SPOILERS************

It turns out that no matter what path she takes, Hillary is destined for politics - and continued interactions with Bill Clinton.

Some historical events remain the same: Bill Runs for President in 1992; 9/11 still happens; Obama and Biden still run and will in 2008 and 2012. Others are vastly different: Bill loses the 1992 primary, marries twice, divorces twice, and has two children, while leaving politics and becoming a successful billionaire in the tech. industry. John McCain is president from 2001 - 2009. Hillary becomes a law professor, before beating Carole Moseley Braun for the Democratic nomination for US Senate in Illinois and winning the general. She runs for President in 2004, 2008, AND 2016. The real-world fact of the loss to Barack Obama remains the same, but she does not become Secretary of State. Does she win in 2016? Do we see Donald Trump? Who are her opponents on either side of the aisle? THAT I am NOT willing to spoil here!

Of course, there is a lot of other events in this book, including some political machinations, friendships lost and gained, and late-in-life romances too.

I cannot give this book enough praise, and you will be losing out if you don't take a chance on this one! This book led me to think about "fate" and the role it plays in our paths on this planet, and I think it will make you consider that too. Thank you Curtis Sittenfeld for this marvelous book! I cannot wait to add it to my bookshelf.

It took me a while to fully immerse myself into this book. Much of it reads the way a memoir about campaigning might, like from Hillary Clinton herself. But, obviously it is not.

I admire Curtis Sittenfeld’s work and I was SO excited to get access to this ARC. While it didn't sweep me away as quickly as some of her other novels have, I really did love it.

At a certain point in the book, I was fascinated by the idea of an alternate reality where Hillary is running against Bill Clinton (who she never married) and would try to convince Donald Trump to run as well in order to dilute support for Bill. I wasn't sure that was where the author was headed with exactly, but the idea that she could have been responsible for our current nightmare, well damn! You'll have to read to see how it played out.

I was looking forward to reading Rodham and I wasn’t disappointed. Like American Wife Sittenfeld explores What If with the life of Hilary Rodham Clinton, combining fact with fiction. I highly recommend this book, in fact, read all of Sittenfeld’s books.

Though I have loved all of Sittenfeld’s earlier books, I was a bit disappointed in this. I found it heavy handed and too serious. I like the concept of alternative history, but Hillary is too vibrant and current a personage for this to work.

I think that in this time of Covid, I might have less patience than usual.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC from one of my favorite authors.

I got an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Sittenfeld fans will not be disappointed... Similar to American Wife, she's done what appears to have been a TON of research to create a believable, multi-faceted protagonist. She's also rewritten history, but if there's anyone who is up to the task, it's Sittenfeld (if you haven't read Eligible, her modern take on Pride and Prejudice, do this ASAP).

The book explores gender, power, privilege, and race with dialogue that's realistic and at times hilarious. I couldn't put this one down.

I have such a reading hangover from this book! Sittenfeld has imagined a completely believable and compelling alternative history for the woman who became Hillary Clinton. I found myself bookmarking nearly every page of the first third; so much of what Sittenfeld writes about smart, ambitious women rang so true to me (even for a woman several generations younger than Rodham). I was weeping by the end; I wanted so badly for this reality to be true, for this one remarkable woman, and for all of us.

Not my favorite book by Sittenfeld. Although, I am glad that I read it. Mostly I think Curtis Sittenfeld had the character of Donald Trump right on! The election process and Hilary’s managing and handling of it I found, were the

I had to wait 2 days after finishing this book because it needed time to sit and linger. I absolutely loved this book. Curtis Sittenfield’s books are always a win, and this one in particular resonated. I will be recommending this book to everyone!

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

What if Hillary had never married Bill? What might her life have looked like? Rodham waves fact with fiction for a wishful alternative fictional biography that I wish were true.

As with previous books, Sittenfeld's writing is compelling, her characters are deep, flawed, and relatable.

In Rodham, we are asked to imagine a world where Hillary didn’t marry Bill. What would change? What would stay the same?

I truly enjoyed this book. It is very well written, easy to read, and I love that Sittenfeld used a mix of real life events and people with imaginary ones, and occasionally found myself doing a search to see which was real. My favorite parts were Hillary’s daily interactions with other people and her transformation throughout her journey.