First

January 15, 2019
The bestselling author delivers a new biography of Sandra Day O'Connor (b. 1930), the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court.Thomas (Being Nixon: A Man Divided, 2015, etc.), the former longtime correspondent and editor at Time and Newsweek, shows a woman who "saw herself as a bridge between an era where women were protected and submissive to an era of true equality of the sexes." However, writes the author, "she did not regard herself as a revolutionary. Her success was owed in no small part to her ability to marry ambition to restraint." Though a bit slow at first, the narrative establishes an essential background to understanding O'Connor as a woman who effectively navigated the shifting political landscape facing many women of her generation. Through Thomas' lens, readers discover O'Connor as a driven, confident woman who seldom pushed others to acknowledge the impact of gender on expectations or success. She was capable of ignoring sexism of her peers but was committed to public service, civility, and principles of equality. Mindful not to draw too many conclusions about O'Connor's beliefs, which she kept guarded, Thomas shines a clear light on her savvy, incremental approach to social change. From her professional charm and humor to her stylish grace, the author presents a significant view of O'Connor that contextualizes her political sensibilities. Peppered with tidbits about her personal life, the overall well-rendered portrait bears out the contradictory truths of her liminal position between traditional and evolving roles for women. At times, Thomas' conclusions border on restrained, but that befits his subject. The author is at his best addressing the cases that came before SCOTUS during O'Connor's era. Thomas ably shows O'Connor's pivotal role in reaching resolutions regarding such issues as abortion, affirmative action, and voting rights. The author also sheds light on O'Connor's nuanced legal prowess and her sensitivity to the tumultuous rise of partisanship.An important biography of a trailblazing woman, the book illuminates its subject's strength at pinpointing a path forward in complex times.

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 15, 2019
Although a child of a flinty Arizona desert ranch, O'Connor was equally at home in Washington, D.C.'s glittering country clubs and salons. The dichotomy of her existence was one that served her well, providing her with the grit and determination to blaze trails as a woman in what was then known as a man's profession, the law. It also gave her the ability to inform a broad and empathic view of life's most complex problems, from racial and gender inequality to reproductive rights to freedom of speech. O'Connor's 1981 appointment as the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court was the culmination of a hard-fought battle for professional advancement, beginning with an unpaid position in a county district attorney's office and culminating in becoming the first woman majority leader in Arizona's state senate. By thoroughly mining O'Connor's archives and interviewing the trail-blazing justice's family, friends, and former clerks, the award-winning Thomas (Ike's Bluff, 2012) creates a fully realized portrait of this heroic, stalwart, and pioneering lawyer and Supreme Court justice, whose contributions to American jurisprudence are legendary and enduring.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

Starred review from February 1, 2019

Historian and journalist Thomas (Being Nixon;$SPACE$John Paul Jones) is well qualified to document the life of Sandra Day O'Connor (b. 1930), the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Thomas is aided by having access to and cooperation with the O'Connor family as well as utilizing Court archives. Before serving as justice from 1981 to 2006, O'Connor was an Arizona senator, the state's first woman majority leader, and later a judge for the Maricopa County Superior Court and then the Arizona Court of Appeals. With her varied political background, O'Connor became a crucial swing vote between the divided liberal and conservative justices. Thomas struggles to pinpoint his subject's jurisprudence, whether it was "minimalist" or "consequentalist" or more often "incremental, pragmatic, humble" in contrast to the ideological extremists on the Court during the latter part of the 20th century. VERDICT This highly readable biography shows the underlying factors motivating O'Connor both on and off the Court. It will have considerable popular appeal to both political scientists and historians, as well as general readers interested in how America's government interacts with the public in resolving political issues related to the law.--William D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2019

An award-winning journalist and author of numerous books whose New York Times best sellers include Being Nixon, Thomas draws on exclusive interviews and access to the Supreme Court archives to craft this biography of Sandra Day O'Connor, the first-ever female majority leader of a state senate and, eventually, America's first female Justice.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.