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4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
inspiring
medium-paced
Dear Jacinda,
I wanted to start by saying thank you. Thank you for being the empathetic leader we needed during the pandemic. Thank you for doing everything that you did. For leading with kindness and empathy. For sharing experiences that resonate with us all.
We’ve met before. You did an office walk-through when I worked on the Unite Against COVID-19 campaign. You signed my wooden figurine and said I was easy to please. I was just trying to hold it together. To not cry. To not fan girl. To not embarrass myself. There was so much I wanted to say to you. But I couldn’t get the words out. And there wasn’t time. In a way, it paralleled to your experience when meeting Helen Clark.
I don’t think I have cried so much while reading an autobiography before. I think it’s mostly because the events talked about were events that I remembered, that I played a part in too. March 15. Whakaari / White Island. The pandemic.
I remember where I was for these things, too. Sitting on the couch in our rented apartment in New York, watching CNN, while half a world away, terror ripped through the streets of Christchurch. Sitting at my desk at ACC in Wellington, saying to my colleagues, “Oh, looks like White Island has erupted.” Followed by… “There were people there.” Working on the Unite Against COVID-19 campaign, communicating all your decisions to New Zealanders. Things hit home.
But it was from the moment you described the Queen’s death that the tears flowed and didn’t stop. I lost my own grandmother just 3 days later. I found out half an hour before you were set to do a press conference announcing the end of all restrictions. I compartmentalised. And hit go on the livestream.
In a way, it was cathartic to hear you describe these events. To hear your experiences. To know that my feelings and grief around these events were shared. And to hear more about your decisions and the reasons why. Especially in stepping down. It could not have been easy. You are the leader we, New Zealanders, needed, and still need. But I get it.
I listened to the audiobook from the library. It makes it so much more emotional to hear you speak the words. I did, however, buy a copy from Kmart. Legit.
Yours sincerely, a public servant who worked tirelessly.
I wanted to start by saying thank you. Thank you for being the empathetic leader we needed during the pandemic. Thank you for doing everything that you did. For leading with kindness and empathy. For sharing experiences that resonate with us all.
We’ve met before. You did an office walk-through when I worked on the Unite Against COVID-19 campaign. You signed my wooden figurine and said I was easy to please. I was just trying to hold it together. To not cry. To not fan girl. To not embarrass myself. There was so much I wanted to say to you. But I couldn’t get the words out. And there wasn’t time. In a way, it paralleled to your experience when meeting Helen Clark.
I don’t think I have cried so much while reading an autobiography before. I think it’s mostly because the events talked about were events that I remembered, that I played a part in too. March 15. Whakaari / White Island. The pandemic.
I remember where I was for these things, too. Sitting on the couch in our rented apartment in New York, watching CNN, while half a world away, terror ripped through the streets of Christchurch. Sitting at my desk at ACC in Wellington, saying to my colleagues, “Oh, looks like White Island has erupted.” Followed by… “There were people there.” Working on the Unite Against COVID-19 campaign, communicating all your decisions to New Zealanders. Things hit home.
But it was from the moment you described the Queen’s death that the tears flowed and didn’t stop. I lost my own grandmother just 3 days later. I found out half an hour before you were set to do a press conference announcing the end of all restrictions. I compartmentalised. And hit go on the livestream.
In a way, it was cathartic to hear you describe these events. To hear your experiences. To know that my feelings and grief around these events were shared. And to hear more about your decisions and the reasons why. Especially in stepping down. It could not have been easy. You are the leader we, New Zealanders, needed, and still need. But I get it.
I listened to the audiobook from the library. It makes it so much more emotional to hear you speak the words. I did, however, buy a copy from Kmart. Legit.
Yours sincerely, a public servant who worked tirelessly.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
An incredible journey. An engaging and insightful read. Expected a little more tea but I think the lack of, is a reflection of Jacinda's leadership. A style of leader the world sorely needs more than ever.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
The book started with Jacinda's upbringing in small town New Zealand, a police officer for a father and being of mormon faith.
The journey to and whilst Prime Minister was an interesting read. As somebody living in New Zealand I recalled many of the topics covered (such as the election she became Prime Minister, having a baby whilst Prime Minister, the Chistchurch Mosque shooting, the eruption of Whakaari White Island, and Covid-19), but it was interesting hearing it from Jacinda's perspective.
Despite not always agreeing politically, I admired her strong empathetic leadership approach with kindness as a guiding principle. There were however some notable omissions such as covering the majority of policy decisions beyond the crises faced, the significant election loss in 2023 (largely driven by Covid lockdowns and vaccine mandates) and her falling out with Winston.
I listened to this as an audiobook with Jacinda reading it, and would recommend this media. I found it an easy and well written listen.
The journey to and whilst Prime Minister was an interesting read. As somebody living in New Zealand I recalled many of the topics covered (such as the election she became Prime Minister, having a baby whilst Prime Minister, the Chistchurch Mosque shooting, the eruption of Whakaari White Island, and Covid-19), but it was interesting hearing it from Jacinda's perspective.
Despite not always agreeing politically, I admired her strong empathetic leadership approach with kindness as a guiding principle. There were however some notable omissions such as covering the majority of policy decisions beyond the crises faced, the significant election loss in 2023 (largely driven by Covid lockdowns and vaccine mandates) and her falling out with Winston.
I listened to this as an audiobook with Jacinda reading it, and would recommend this media. I found it an easy and well written listen.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced