Jennie's B(ook)log

Title: Sammy's Hill
Author: Kristin Gore
Published: 2004, Hyperion
Category: General Fiction
Rating: 7

Hello jennie's bookloggers. This is Julie (AKA Twin). Jennie is trapped under one of her bookcases, with only her little feet sticking out, like the Wicked Witch of the East (or was it the West?). I could list other ways in which she bears a resemblance to a witch, but that is not the subject at hand. The subject that is at hand, of course, is a book. I do read occasionally, though I am definitely an amateur compared to Jennie. So I'm going to leave Jennie under the bookcase (she's rarely so quiet), and share some thoughts about one of the books I read on vacation.

Sammy's Hill was one of the books we got from our BPL book loot. When I picked it up, I wasn't sure whether the author, Kristin Gore, was in fact Al Gore's daughter. There was no mention of her famous parentage on the book jacket, and my memories of the 2000 election debacle have fortunately faded sufficiently to render Al's family a bit hazy. I had to look it up on the internet. And yup, she's his daughter. Hard to believe because she's funny. Really funny. And down-to-earth. And suddenly Al Gore seems a little less fact-spewing robot and a little more human to have produced such a daughter.

Sammy Joyce is the 27-year-old domestic policy advisor to a junior senator from Ohio. She is idealistic and maybe a little naive, and has complete faith in her boss, a hard-working, honest, and morally pure politician (and now you know this is a work of fiction). Sammy falls for a smooth-talking hottie speechwriter who works for an ambitious and morally corrupt presidential candidate. But there is also a mild-mannered Clark Kent of a reporter who is either Sammy's arch-enemy or soulmate.

This is a pretty light read. And quite funny. Sammy is a very likable character, with hysterical idiosyncrasies. Kristin Gore also obviously shares her character's belief in the political system and its ability to produce honest, idealistic leaders. That she still believes this after growing up in a political family is fairly incredible. But also reassuring. Here's hoping her Dad is one of those honest, idealistic leaders—and he can make it into the White House.