Hard Choices

June 30, 2014
The once and possibly future Democratic presidential candidate looks back on her adventures as Secretary of State in this diplomatically phrased memoir. Clinton (Living History) recounts her handling of four years of world crises and conflicts, including nuclear negotiations with Iran and North Korea, the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the Arab Spring, the attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi that killed four Americans, countless joustings with the Chinese, the Russians, and Congressional Republicans and journeys stumping for human rights, women's rights, and LGBT rights. The charisma that made her an international celebrityâ"When was the last time you fell in loveâ¦" gushes one star-struck attendee at her "town hall" meeting in Turkeyâcomes through in her warm prose and self-deprecating humor. But the book's role as a potential campaign autobiography precludes the candor that ex-diplomats sometimes uncork in their reminiscences. Clinton carefully strike hawkish poses and distances herself from some of the Obama Adminstration's wrangles with the Israeli government; she defends American "values" as the idealistic soul of its foreign policy even as she struggles unconvincingly to square interventions against some Middle Eastern dictatorships with support for others. Clinton's calculated mix of soaring rhetoric and tacit realpolitik reveals much, but not everything. Photos.

September 1, 2014
The once and possibly future Democratic presidential candidate looks back on her adventures as Secretary of State in this diplomatic memoir. Clinton identifies and reflects upon the many choices that defined her tenure as secretary of state, including nuclear negotiations with Iran and North Korea, the killing of Osama bin Laden, the Arab Spring, and the attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi that killed four Americans. Clinton narrates parts of the audiobook, and, although her voice is agreeable enough, her tone can be confusing. It often feels as if she is smiling or even laughing in her narration—while the text warrants this sometimes, it also feels more disruptive than enjoyable. Chalfant does a solid job of keeping a consistent and engaging tone throughout much of the production, but feels different enough from Clinton that it can feel a bit disjointed for the listener. A Simon & Schuster hardcover.

Clinton's audiobook recounts her tenure as secretary of state and focuses on the decisions she made while managing President Obama's foreign policies. It sheds new light on U.S. actions regarding Iraq, China, Israel, and other world hot spots and shows Clinton to be a thoughtful and, at times, embattled statesperson. Kathleen Chalfant is the main narrator, although Clinton lends her voice to the introduction and other sections of the book. Clinton speaks well, but Chalfant does the hard work. She has an open, friendly voice, and her pacing and diction are excellent. However, while she varies her pitch enough to keep the story moving, Chalfant sounds much like Clinton. This is fine on one level as Clinton's voice is so well known, but but the artistic choice prevents her from putting her narrative mark on the book. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine