In this fictional version of the life of Hillary Rodham, she pursues a different life and career path. While they still meet and are romantically involved while at Yale, Hillary rejects Bill's proposals of marriage because she realises he will never be faithful to her. They part ways and Bill continues on to become Governor of Arkansas, marrying another woman and having a family, while Hillary returns to Illinois to teach law at Northwestern University before running for office herself.Hillary was always a trailblazer, from her commencement speech at Wellesley to her lifelong advocacy for education and health care. In Rodham, she is complex - intelligent and worldly, empathetic and human, loyal and lonely. Ambitious and determined, along the way Hillary makes some poor decisions which alienate friends and cause a media furore which she must navigate.
Clinton is portrayed as an ego-centric womaniser who has endearing, charming qualities - an electric personality that people gravitate towards. Whereas Hillary is plain and cerebral, and has to fight hard to be heard. Even Donald Trump makes an appearance in his trademark bombastic style.
Even though Rodham is fiction, I found it difficult to fully remove what I already know of the people involved and this was an obstacle when reading as I could never fully immerse myself in the narrative. The early scenes of Hillary and Bill were a delightful romp, but the detailed descriptions of their amorous sex life made for awkward reading.
Sittenfeld makes some interesting choices, including writing it in first person, which allows the author to explore how Hillary might struggle between her private and public personas. She also covers issues of race, gender and ageing in a fascinating way. I particularly enjoyed the way in which female friendships are portrayed, with Hillary's relationships with lifelong friends (and their children) showcasing the importance of these deep, unwavering bonds.
Rodham is a strangely compelling novel and, in truth, while I am glad that I have read it I am not entirely sure how I feel about it. But it has left me wondering... what if?