AOC

November 15, 2019
This heartfelt biography chronicles the meteoric rise of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Gupta begins by noting how the election of President Trump inspired her to more carefully follow women of color in politics. Enter: a whip-smart Latina millennial from the Bronx. Ocasio-Cortez was a studious child, whose Puerto Rican parents sacrificed much to send their two children to good schools. Even with accolades and intellect to boot, Ocasio-Cortez graduated college with massive amounts of debt and tended bar to keep herself and her family afloat. It seemed more impossible to pay off her student loans than it did to become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, though she's now accomplished the latter. Gupta regales readers with tales of AOC's legendary defeat of incumbent congressman Joseph Crowley; her keen ability to communicate with constituents online; her unwavering grace under scrutiny; and the major proposals she has backed since taking office. Supplemented by photos and pull quotes, Gupta's reporting is as sharp and galvanizing as her subject. A beautiful tribute to a contemporary firebrand.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)