Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Simon & Schuster Audio)
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert
Release Date: July 24, 2018
Length: 320 pages (9 hrs. 35 min.)
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

For all the right reasons Charlotte Walsh decides to run for senate, and she thinks she’s prepared for the vitriol of an election, but could anyone really be prepared for that?

From the Publisher

From Jo Piazza…..comes an exciting, insightful novel about what happens when a woman wants it all—political power, a happy marriage, and happiness—but isn’t sure just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it…..Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win is an insightful portrait of what it takes for a woman to run for national office in America today. In a dramatic political moment like no other with more women running for office than ever before, Jo Piazza’s novel is timely, engrossing, and perfect for readers on both sides of the aisle.

The Draw

• I very much enjoyed last summer’s Fitness Junkie, which Jo Piazza co-authored with Lucy Sykes.
• Two of my best reading sources, Catherine at Gilmore Guide to Books and Sarah at Sarah’s Bookshelves recommended this one.
• I love the premise of a woman running for office, but still wanting her family life.

{My Thoughts}

What Worked For Me

An Author’s Courageous Timeline – Before anything else, I have to applaud Jo Piazza for setting her story right NOW in the middle of one of the most hotly contested set of mid-term elections that we’ve ever experienced. Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win begins in mid-2017 and ends with the November 2018 elections. You can’t get timelier than that. When you think about the time to write a book, submit it, do all the editing, and then go through the entire publication process, it’s truly amazing that Piazza was able to pull this book off. I’d love to know when she started writing it. I suspect it was shortly after the 2016 elections. Piazza’s amazing foresight proves her to be a very wise woman!

An Insider’s Glimpse of Running for Office – Charlotte Walsh wants to be Pennsylvania’s next senator for all the right reasons. The man she hopes to replace has been in office for over 30 years and has done little for the state. She’s appalled at the direction the country has taken. And, she has terrific qualifications as a woman who has successfully run a cutting edge-company, written a book about empowering women, and has been called by many to run for office. Charlotte knows to hire a tough, experienced campaign manager. She knows to surround herself with powerful advisors and she makes sure her family is on board. But none of that is enough.

The rigors of running are overwhelming, for anyone, but as a woman Charlotte has to also endure the indignity of being scrutinized for her hairstyle, her clothing, her shoes, and her mothering. Things no one even considers for a man. And then there’s the dirt, real and fabricated, on both sides. Time after time it nearly breaks Charlotte.

Two voices competed in Charlotte’s head, “The work you will do in office once you win this race will be more important than the humiliation you feel in this moment.” The other said, “Quit now! This will only get worse.”

Charlotte’s Personal Life – Throughout the book Charlotte struggled to maintain a family life with her husband, Max, and her three young daughters. Occasionally she had success, but mostly she didn’t because in reality running for office is a nasty, nasty business. It put everyone she loved under a microscope. Still, I enjoyed Charlotte’s family and her complicated loved story with Max. Of course, they all suffered, they all sacrificed to help Charlotte succeed, as all family’s must when one member chooses to run for office.

A Balance of Funny and Sad – Piazza’s book was not a light summer read and it was not a gloomy tragedy. Instead it was a perfect balance between the two. You had to laugh about Charlotte’s daily shoe choices getting their own Instagram account, just as you felt her frustration that her shoes were getting more press coverage than her message.

Narration – Tavia Gilbert did a marvelous job reading Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win. She really brought Charlotte to life and both her pacing and inflections were great. Gilbert is one of those readers who makes you want to get right back to listening!

What Didn’t

Unnecessary Parts – There were a few short parts of the story that I felt were unneeded or out of character for Charlotte. For example, just days before the election after some bad news, she goes to a bar and has a few drinks. It just didn’t seem like something Charlotte would have done with so much on the line. The story needed no distractors.

{The Final Assessment}

I really enjoyed this timely novel and admire Jo Piazza for taking it on. The ending of Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win didn’t surprise me, and I liked it a lot. Be sure to read Piazza’s explanation of why she chose to end the book the way she did. That was VERY impressive! In addition to the pleasure I got from this book, it left me with one big question: Why would anyone ever WANT to run for office? It’s so awful, no matter how clean you are. So, for all the brave folks who take on the task, the least the rest of us can do is stay informed and vote! Grade: B+

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close – story of the hopes and ambitions of a young couple who move to Washington D.C. during the heady years of the Obama Administration. (my review)
• Fitness Junkie by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza – A funny send up of the fitness and diet industries through the life of a woman undergoing big mid-life changes. (my review)

Disclosure: There are Amazon Associate links included within this post.