11/20/2023
Former second lady Pence makes her adult debut (after the picture book Marlon Bundo’s Best Christmas Ever) with an even-keeled account of her life and her relationship with God. Among other milestones, she recounts meeting Mike Pence in 1984, when he was in law school; their marriage; giving birth to three children after struggling to conceive; and her husband’s rise from Congress to the Indiana governor’s office and finally the White House. Writing that hers is “a story about how God... gently and patiently showed me how to wear the mantle He was placing on my shoulders,” Pence portrays how faith has suffused every aspect of her life, from the decision-making behind her husband’s 2000 congressional run (“This could be a real opportunity to show an example of their parents answering a call from God”) to the prayers she offered during the 2002 sniper attacks in the Washington, D.C., metro area. While Pence’s tendency to dodge controversy may vex some—she touches only very lightly on January 6, and not at all on the protestors’ rallying cry of “Hang Mike Pence”—her staunch faith and down-to-earth rendering of D.C. political life appeal, and her strategy of mostly conveying advice by example works well. Christian readers will find some wisdom here. (Sept.)
