Includes bibliographical references (pages 595-603) and index

Prologue -- 1. Formation -- 2. A young woman on her own -- 3. Love and war at Yale -- 4. Making Arkansas home -- 5. The prize -- 6. A transitional woman -- 7. Inauguration -- 8. Settling in -- 9. Portrait of a First Lady -- 10. A downhill path -- 11. Health care -- 12. The politics of meaning and family -- 13. The cruel season -- 14. Not a crook, not a degenerate -- 15. Truth or consequences -- 16. Truth or consequences (2) -- 17. The longest season-- 18. A woman in charge -- A note on sources -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Acknowledgments -- Index

Carl Bernstein's portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton shows the true trajectory of her life and career, with its bursts of risks taken and safety sought--a detailed, sophisticated account of the complex political meteor who has helped define one president and may well become another. We see the shaping of Hillary as a self-described "mind conservative and heart liberal"--Her ostensibly idyllic Midwestern girlhood; her early development of deep religious feelings; her curiosity fueled by dedicated teachers, by the ferment of the sixties, and, above all, by a desire to change the world. At Wellesley Hillary thrives, already perceived as a spokeswoman for her generation. At Yale Law School she meets Bill Clinton and ties her fortune to his. Bernstein clarifies the dynamic of their marriage, shows us the extent to which Hillary has been instrumental in Bill Clinton's triumphs and troubles, and sheds light on her own political brilliance and her blind spots.--From publisher description