Eighteen Acres by Nicolle Wallace

While I can’t say politics are my niche, I was looking forward to reading the debut by Nicolle Wallace, Eighteen Acres. A story about the first female president and all the adversities she must face, I knew I wanted to get this on my list. Charlotte Kramer, forty-fifth president of the United States, is up for reelection and it is up to her and friend/White House chief of staff Melanie Kingston to ensure she stays in office for a second term. Melanie, who has spent fifteen years working in the White House, has no outside social life and begins to wonder if it might her time to step down. Charlotte, hot in pursuit of a reelection, gets her world torn apart as her marriage crumbles, her husband’s affair can no longer be ignored, and her closest advisor and dear friend makes a decision to which Charlotte will never be able to forgive him for––and puts national security at risk. Dale Smith, a reporter who is the one Charlotte’s husband is having an affair with, tries valiantly to keep her conscience in check while she tries to climb the ropes of her career. All three women struggle with their personal journeys while fighting to stay in control.

I was impressed with Eighteen Acres, and it was easy to see that Wallace clearly has an insider point of view. Her bio states she, “is a political strategist and former political analyst for CBS Evening News whose recent posts include White House Communications Director under George W. Bush and campaign advisor for John McCain and Sarah Palin.” Well, hello. Not only is the political finesse there, but the writing was pretty smooth throughout and held my attention. All three women stood out to me for different reasons, and I was invested in their stories. While the beginning was a little slow and it took me a while to get used to all the political jargon, the second half of the book kept me on my toes and pushed me to the end. The big decision Charlotte’s advisor makes is quite the doozy, and her reaction and the series of events that happens afterwards were read with breathless abandon. Overall, a good start for Wallace and I hope to read more from her.