Sign in
Fall Collections
Books
Kids
Popular
Authors & Events
Gifts & Deals
Audio
Sign In
Aug 18, 2015 | ISBN 9780147516381 Buy
Sep 09, 2014 | ISBN 9780698159181 Buy
Sep 09, 2014 | 634 Minutes Buy
Also available from:
Available from:
Aug 18, 2015 | ISBN 9780147516381
Sep 09, 2014 | ISBN 9780698159181
Sep 09, 2014 | ISBN 9780698179912
634 Minutes
An inspiring memoir by one of the country’s brightest new political stars and hero to women’s rights supporters everywhere In June of 2013, Texas state senator Wendy Davis became an overnight political sensation when she singlehandedly filibustered Governor Rick Perry’s sweeping anti-abortion bill. Her personal story is just as remarkable. The daughter of a single mother, Davis, at age 19, was on her way to becoming a single mother herself. She was living with her own young daughter in a trailer park while working two jobs and struggling to make ends meet. Still, she managed to attend and graduate from Texas Christian University and Harvard Law School, be elected to the Fort Worth City Council and the Texas Senate, and, in 2014, became the most serious Democrat in two decades to make a run for governor. Refreshing and forthright, Forgetting to Be Afraid is a deeply moving testament to the enduring power of the American Dream.
Wendy Davis has had her share of tough fights. Raised by a single mother with a ninth-grade education, Davis began working after school at age fourteen to contribute to the family finances. By the time she was nineteen, she was living in a trailer park with a baby daughter and holding down two jobs. But rather than succumb to the cycle of poverty that threatened to overwhelm her, Davis managed to attend community college and Texas Christian University, graduate from Harvard Law School, and go on to serve nine years on the Fort Worth City Council. She set her sights on the Texas state senate—and in 2008 defeated a longtime GOP incumbent in a race widely considered one of the biggest recent upsets in Texas politics.But it wasn’t until June 2013 that the rest of America was acquainted with the spirited Texas state senator. Davis became an overnight political sensation and a hero to women’s rights supporters across the country when she single-handedly filibustered Governor Rick Perry’s sweeping bill that aimed to close all but five abortion clinics in her state. During her historic nearly thirteen hours on the floor of the state legislature, Davis wasn’t allowed to eat, drink, sit, use the bathroom, speak off topic, or lean against any furniture. When it was over, President Obama tweeted support to his millions of Twitter followers, and Wendy Davis—with her pink sneakers—was suddenly a household name.She is now the first Democrat to make a serious run for governor of Texas in two decades, and her personal story is a testament to the enduring power of the American dream and an inspiration to countless women looking for a way out of desperate circumstances. Told in her own refreshingly forthright voice, Forgetting to be Afraid is the exhilarating and deeply moving story behind one of the nation’s brightest young political stars.
Wendy Davis was the 2014 Democratic candidate for Governor of Texas. She has represented Fort Worth in the Texas Senate and previously served on the Fort Worth city council. In June 2013, she held a historic 11-hour filibuster to block legislation… More about Wendy Davis
“Very good… an important contribution not only to understanding Wendy Davis but to where we are right now.” –Rachel Maddow“I’m a Republican…but I can still love the book and be moved by an inspirational story.” –Joe Scarborough“Texas gubernatorial candidate Davis delivers a political biography that is better—in part because it’s better written, in part because it’s more heartfelt—than most books of its kind…Doubtless we’ll be hearing more from Davis. This modest memoir makes it clear why even her opponents should pay attention to her.” –Kirkus “Compelling.” –Associated Press
Dear Reader,Forgetting to Be Afraid is a Profiles in Courage for our time—politically and personally.In 2013, when Wendy Davis conducted an eleven-hour solo filibuster in the Texas legislature to block passage of a bill that would have denied women access to reproductive health care, she electrified the nation. On her feet, not moving, not drinking, no bathroom breaks, just talking; Senator Davis won an astounding, unlikely victory for pro-choice advocates everywhere.In this new memoir, Davis, now the Democratic candidate for Texas governor, relates her extraordinary journey from a hardscrabble upbringing to motherhood to Harvard Law School and now into a race for one of America’s most visible jobs. How she combined ambition, family, determination and an unquenchable drive for public service is the stuff that legends—and great autobiographies—are made from. Written with candor, insight and an intimacy rarely offered by any politician, Forgetting to Be Afraid is inspiring, important reading.I hope you’ll have a chance to read this surprising book; it will make you see what all of us at Blue Rider—and what so many voters in Texas—have come to view as the Age of Wendy Davis.Best wishes etcDavid Rosenthal
Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network
Stay in Touch
By clicking Sign Up, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
