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A review by kathywadolowski
I Have Something to Tell You: A Memoir by Chasten Buttigieg
4.0
Chasten is an INCREDIBLY relatable author and narrator, and it was a pleasure to know his story in his own words. I read Pete Buttigieg's memoir, "Shortest Way Home," last year, and reading this book (though its events extend a couple years later) was an incredible complement to that reading experience; it's really remarkable that two people with such different paths in life could meet and work the way these two do.
Though I can't relate to every aspect of Chasten's experience, his reactions to things and feelings of frustration when he can't seem to figure things out was so validating. A lot of times, when you read memoirs/autobiographies, even when the subject says something like that they seemingly do fall into the right thing quite quickly afterward. But I appreciate that, for Chasten, this aimlessness wasn't just a blip on his timeline but a really pervasive theme of his life. So when he said to keep trying, striving, and working toward something (even if you're not sure what that something will turn into), his advice really hits home because you know it's authentic to his experience rather than something he's just saying.
His explanation of campaign life was very engaging and probably my favorite part to read, as it's rare to hear about this whirlwind from the *spouse* of a candidate rather than the candidate themselves or the candidate's biographer. But ultimately, the most moving aspect was hearing the way he talked about Peter; the love transcended the page and made me smile.
Though I can't relate to every aspect of Chasten's experience, his reactions to things and feelings of frustration when he can't seem to figure things out was so validating. A lot of times, when you read memoirs/autobiographies, even when the subject says something like that they seemingly do fall into the right thing quite quickly afterward. But I appreciate that, for Chasten, this aimlessness wasn't just a blip on his timeline but a really pervasive theme of his life. So when he said to keep trying, striving, and working toward something (even if you're not sure what that something will turn into), his advice really hits home because you know it's authentic to his experience rather than something he's just saying.
His explanation of campaign life was very engaging and probably my favorite part to read, as it's rare to hear about this whirlwind from the *spouse* of a candidate rather than the candidate themselves or the candidate's biographer. But ultimately, the most moving aspect was hearing the way he talked about Peter; the love transcended the page and made me smile.