As an avid reader and Clinton supporter,
I found McDougal's book to be fascinating and fabulous.
It is a story of a brave and independent
woman who did not know until Kenneth Star and his minions
went after her that she was brave and independent.
Growing up in a close and religious family, she did
what good southern girls do--she
attended Ouachita Baptist University, met Jim McDougal, married him
and went along with his bizarre business
practices. Her family supported her, both in her marriage, and
eventually in her divorce from McDougal.
Her family also supported her in her horrific fight with the OIC.
The book is most poignent in its portrayl
of her prison experiences and in her conflicted feelings for Jim McDougal.
She had loved and married him and was sympathetic
with his eventual cave-in to the Starr Inquisition. He did not
want to die in prison, which, of course,
he tragically did. Helen Thomas wrote the forward and it's a real
gem.
Quotes
1. "It is an odyssey of betrayal and
courage. It is also a powerfully gripping tale, distressing and disturbing
at times,
yet uplifting throughout, espicially as it nears its climax... (p. ix)
2. "Being called sleezy by Al
D'Amato is a little like being called inarticulate by George W. Bush."
(p. 168)
3. "Actually, Ken Starr was the architect
of one of the greatest snow jobs of the 20th century." (p. 371)
4. "As we came to know the Clintons
better, I was fascinated by the way they interacted with each other.
I
never wondered whether theirs was simply a marriage of political ambitions--it
was obvious to anyone
who knew
them that they were truly in love." (p. 32)
5. "...Despite their assertions that
they had no control over prison placement. Starr and the OIC were in fact
able to
dictate where people were jailed." (p. 285)
6. "Julie's [Hiatt Steele] story
was a cautionary tale about the perils of telling the truth to the OIC.
(p. 364)
7. "I have been following your legal
problems for a long time and I think what they have done to you is a travesty."
(Mark Geragos,
p. 269)
8. "Jim is sick. He's broke.
He's been abandoned by everyone he counted on. I'm not goint to pile
on
while he's
at the lowest point in his life." (p. 173)
9. "The media reported the verdict
as a total rejection of Starr and the OIC." (p. 367)
10. "I am a much different person today
than I was in September of 1996 when I walked into jail for the first time."
(p.
376)
Read this book. It will enrage you and humble and you will feel better for it.