Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds
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- Create Date：2022-10-15 06:53:15
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Huma Abedin
- ISBN：1471172996
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Summary
In this beautifully written and propulsive memoir， Huma Abedin—Hillary Clinton’s famously private top aide and longtime adviser—emerges from the wings of American political history to take command of her own story。
The daughter of Indian and Pakistani intellectuals and advocates who split their time between Saudi Arabia， the UK and the United States， Abedin grew up in many worlds。 Both/And grapples with family， legacy， identity， faith， marriage and motherhood with wisdom and sophistication。
Abedin launched full steam into a college internship in the office of the first lady in 1996， never imagining that her work at the White House would blossom into a career in public service， nor that the career would become an all-consuming way of life。 Still in her twenties and thirties， she thrived in rooms with diplomats and sovereigns， entrepreneurs and artists， philanthropists and activists， and witnessed many crucial moments in 21st-century American history—Camp David for urgent efforts at Middle East peace in the waning months of the Clinton administration， Ground Zero in the days after the 9/11 attacks， the inauguration of the first African American president of the United States， the convention floor when America nominated its first female presidential candidate。
Abedin’s relationship with Clinton has seen both women through extraordinary personal and professional highs， as well as unimaginable lows。 Here， for the first time， is a deeply personal account of Hillary Clinton as mentor， confidante and role model。 Abedin cuts through caricature， rumour and misinformation to reveal a crystal-clear portrait of Clinton as a brilliant and caring leader a steadfast friend， generous， funny， hardworking and dedicated。 Both/And is a candid and heartbreaking chronicle of Abedin’s marriage to Anthony Weiner， what drew her to him， how much she wanted to believe in him， the devastation wrought by his betrayals—and their shared love for their son。
It is also a timeless story of a young woman with aspirations and ideals coming into her own in high-pressure jobs， and a testament to the potential for women in leadership to blaze a path forward while supporting those who follow in their footsteps。 Both/And describes Abedin’s journey through the opportunities and obstacles， the trials and triumphs， of a full and complex life。 Abedin’s compassion and courage， her resilience and grace， her work ethic and mission are an inspiration to people of all ages。
‘This journey has led me through exhilarating milestones and devastating setbacks，’ said Abedin。 ‘I have walked both with great pride and in overwhelming shame。 It is a life I am—more than anything—enormously grateful for and a story I look forward to sharing。’
The daughter of Indian and Pakistani intellectuals and advocates who split their time between Saudi Arabia， the UK and the United States， Abedin grew up in many worlds。 Both/And grapples with family， legacy， identity， faith， marriage and motherhood with wisdom and sophistication。
Abedin launched full steam into a college internship in the office of the first lady in 1996， never imagining that her work at the White House would blossom into a career in public service， nor that the career would become an all-consuming way of life。 Still in her twenties and thirties， she thrived in rooms with diplomats and sovereigns， entrepreneurs and artists， philanthropists and activists， and witnessed many crucial moments in 21st-century American history—Camp David for urgent efforts at Middle East peace in the waning months of the Clinton administration， Ground Zero in the days after the 9/11 attacks， the inauguration of the first African American president of the United States， the convention floor when America nominated its first female presidential candidate。
Abedin’s relationship with Clinton has seen both women through extraordinary personal and professional highs， as well as unimaginable lows。 Here， for the first time， is a deeply personal account of Hillary Clinton as mentor， confidante and role model。 Abedin cuts through caricature， rumour and misinformation to reveal a crystal-clear portrait of Clinton as a brilliant and caring leader a steadfast friend， generous， funny， hardworking and dedicated。 Both/And is a candid and heartbreaking chronicle of Abedin’s marriage to Anthony Weiner， what drew her to him， how much she wanted to believe in him， the devastation wrought by his betrayals—and their shared love for their son。
It is also a timeless story of a young woman with aspirations and ideals coming into her own in high-pressure jobs， and a testament to the potential for women in leadership to blaze a path forward while supporting those who follow in their footsteps。 Both/And describes Abedin’s journey through the opportunities and obstacles， the trials and triumphs， of a full and complex life。 Abedin’s compassion and courage， her resilience and grace， her work ethic and mission are an inspiration to people of all ages。
‘This journey has led me through exhilarating milestones and devastating setbacks，’ said Abedin。 ‘I have walked both with great pride and in overwhelming shame。 It is a life I am—more than anything—enormously grateful for and a story I look forward to sharing。’
Reviews
Betsy Mccormick
，
Memoirs are my favorite genre and I enjoyed this one - as usual I enjoyed the story of her childhood more than the latter part of the book but still really enjoyed reading the whole story。
Susan Walker
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Great read about a woman's fascinating life。 Her experience in politics makes for great reading。 Great read about a woman's fascinating life。 Her experience in politics makes for great reading。 。。。more
Christopher
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This is an excellent autobiography。 I had no idea who Huma was when I started reading the book。 It was thankfully recommended by a G。R。 friend。 I enjoyed the portions of the book more that were not covered in the newspapers。 Huma bares her sole in her beautiful writing， it is a wonderful read。
Karen
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Heartbreakingly beautiful。 Her prose is effortless; her ability to go on， relentless。 I learned so much reading this book about the world， politics， and the fragile human condition。 Highly recommend。
Limme
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A nice book。
Elyse Walters
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Audiobook…read by Huma Abedin …。。21 hours and 47 minutesANOTHER…。。 …。FABULOUS audiobook-listen… … a little long- packed filled with juicy details — and I listened to every word！ At times I was incredibly inspired by Huma Abedin and the opportunities she has had — plus， from woman to woman — I genuinely liked her。 …。other times …（laugh with me？）…。I felt like I was getting swept away into Esquire Gossip type voyeurism。 Huma Abedin was born in Michigan- but grew up in Saudi Arabia。 Her parents emi Audiobook…read by Huma Abedin …。。21 hours and 47 minutesANOTHER…。。 …。FABULOUS audiobook-listen… … a little long- packed filled with juicy details — and I listened to every word！ At times I was incredibly inspired by Huma Abedin and the opportunities she has had — plus， from woman to woman — I genuinely liked her。 …。other times …（laugh with me？）…。I felt like I was getting swept away into Esquire Gossip type voyeurism。 Huma Abedin was born in Michigan- but grew up in Saudi Arabia。 Her parents emigrated from India to Pakistan to the United States。 - before - moving to Saudi Arabia。 Huma is part Black， White， American， Indian， and Pakistani。 Her life is as colorful - textured - enthralling- and complicated- as is her multicolored ethnicity is。 Huma Abedin worked in the state department。 She traveled the world with Secretary Hillary Clinton as her long time adviser。 （started as an intern in 1996- worked 25 years） Their relationship developed into a sincere friendship that grew from loyalty， ability， and trust。 If being a witness to Hillary， （right hand assistant）， during the very beginning days of Bill Clinton’s public sex scandal wasn’t enough for Huma to endure—we learn of Huma’s own - very public - clandestine sex scandal from her husband Anthony Weiner。 Weiner， went to federal prison for a 21-month sentence for sexting with an underage girl over Skype。 Later， Huma discovered photos confirming that Weiner’s infidelity was not only digital fantasy—but he had brought women into their home - while their son， Jordon， （four years of age at the time）， was sleeping in the next room。 Huma said she wrote this memoir to “write my own history” and also a manifestation of her determination to close the book on the scandal and move on。 Ha… …。and （as for me？/！）， as if 21+ hours of listening to “Both/And” …。an ‘everything-tell-all’ memoir wasn’t enough …。And as if…。。this memoir wasn’t already packed to the brim with political - travel - multicultural - and personal interest……Joyful to painful …。Emotionally angry/biter to understanding/forgiving — with a purpose to provide moral integrity for their son…。 …。There is ‘more’ public news since this memoir was written。 Huma is now dating Bradley Cooper。 Did I enjoy this audiobook？ I did — I admit I did…。 （a ‘touch of self doubt when finished）…But yes…。 Huma writes well - and speaks well。 She’s not dull （no matter how much she tries to convince us she grew up in a conservative controlled environment who is dedicated to healthy lifestyle choices） I believe Huma！ I believe she always intends to make healthy lifestyle choices and make a difference in the world …。But she is anything but dull！ 4。5 rating …。 rating up。 Truth is — it was the type of audiobook I didn’t want to put down — （ but I needed to often） … yet every time I returned to it — I was excited to read ‘what’s next’。 。。。more
Lynette Hirschy
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Love love love this book。 Well written。 Highly recommended。
Alina Adamut
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4。5 out of 5
Darius Murretti
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Very Profound 。 I listen to the audiobook narrated by Huma who has a thoroughly "down home"American accent and is an excellent writer and narrator。Its an autobiography telling of her childhood and adolescence in Pakistan which endeared her parents and siblings to me and gave me an inside view of the love， purity and virtue engendered in an intelligently progressive Muslim family 。 I found plenty of human interest/drama throughout the book I so busy with my own family， farm and meditation that I Very Profound 。 I listen to the audiobook narrated by Huma who has a thoroughly "down home"American accent and is an excellent writer and narrator。Its an autobiography telling of her childhood and adolescence in Pakistan which endeared her parents and siblings to me and gave me an inside view of the love， purity and virtue engendered in an intelligently progressive Muslim family 。 I found plenty of human interest/drama throughout the book I so busy with my own family， farm and meditation that I don't have time to write a book review but this book touched the humanity inside me 。 The "take away" for me was that politicians are pretty good human beings and that on line sex addiction is very scary。 I have always warned GR members to avoid books and movies with too much sex and violence and have always recommended books that don。t have these 。I think I would have become an online sex addict if not for Surat Shabd yoga which gives its partitioners a higher bliss than sex and the more pure you keep your mind the more you enjoy it 。I think it saved me This book is highly recommended 。。。more
Jane
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This book is as heartbreaking as it is informative， as hard to read as it is well （& even beautifully） written。 Huma Abedin has been at HRC’s side her entire professional life， but her own story begins before that: in the suburbs of Michigan， and then the air conditioned buildings of Jeddah。 Informed by her faith and love of family， she lands an internship at the White House during college and never looks back。 The closest - and best - description she offers during the book of what her role has This book is as heartbreaking as it is informative， as hard to read as it is well （& even beautifully） written。 Huma Abedin has been at HRC’s side her entire professional life， but her own story begins before that: in the suburbs of Michigan， and then the air conditioned buildings of Jeddah。 Informed by her faith and love of family， she lands an internship at the White House during college and never looks back。 The closest - and best - description she offers during the book of what her role has been for 25 years for HRC is almost a throwaway line， when she’s talking abojt a complicated choice she faces。 “I make decisions for a living。”That is， in essence， the very best thing a staffer can do for a principal。 Anticipate - and then make - the decision points so the principal can just deliver。 In 2013， I was on a call with Huma briefing an upcoming trip and was floored （and frankly terrified） of the questions she asked。 About doorways and entrances， audience members and timing - Huma wanted all of the details， because she wanted it done correctly。 If that’s not enough to put her in the category of very best， one only has to read a few pages of the book to know that what you’ll get about HRC will be entirely filtered by the adoration and defensiveness that staffers have for the best of principals。 If you get nothing remarkable about HRC from this book （I’d argue that the remarkable is really what a genuinely good leader she is - but that’s not surprising， and therefore doesn’t count as remarkable， if that makes sense） - Huma is far more candid about her own life。 The chapters on her husband’s transgressions and the 2016 election are deeply painful to read and relive。 Weiner put his wife （& probably in later years， child） through hell - but the amount of weight given to his scandal Vs trump’s many feels almost laughable in retrospect。 Huma’s pain， her fear of losing her child， her （unwarranted） shame at her husband’s role in the election…all of it is vivid and terrible。 If there is one section that doesn’t quite fit， it’s the end。 What now？ She’s friends with Anna Wintour; Oscar de la Renta makes her clothes; reportedly， she dates Bradley Cooper。 But whether she asked for it or not （so older: she didn’t） - her role in American political life shouldn’t be over。 At least， I hope it isn’t。 。。。more
Byron
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When i first saw that Abedin wrote an autobiography， i was incredulous。 how could a woman who went to hell and back have the emotional wherewithal to actually write about it？ It struck me as so brave， that i felt like i owed it to her to read it （note: I've never actually met her）。 But the book was a little disappointing。 The book itself is a recap of many of the crazy things that have happened in the Clinton years from Abedin's perspective。 But it's written like a loyal soldier to Hillary Clint When i first saw that Abedin wrote an autobiography， i was incredulous。 how could a woman who went to hell and back have the emotional wherewithal to actually write about it？ It struck me as so brave， that i felt like i owed it to her to read it （note: I've never actually met her）。 But the book was a little disappointing。 The book itself is a recap of many of the crazy things that have happened in the Clinton years from Abedin's perspective。 But it's written like a loyal soldier to Hillary Clinton， only telling stories that would make her look brilliant or kind or caring， and only took standard partisan shots at political opponents。 The book felt overly editorialized and her voice lacked the raw emotion i would have expected， and made me think either her editors heavily changed the one or it was ghost written。 I would have given 3 starts， but given bravery， 4。 。。。more
Fanxue Meng
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An honest and self critical story of someone who has endured a long public service role， from her dedication and unexpected love life journey， her voice warrants to be heard。 No doubt a life long die hard Hilary Clinton fan … i do wish there was the same level of criticalness onto HRC as she does onto herself。 At times， it does feel like she’s trying to explain and plead on behalf of HRC。
Rebecca Caplan
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I rarely review books that I have read， but this one is exceptional。 Definitely the best memoir I’ve ever read。 The story of Huma’s life is fascinating - from her start in Michigan to growing up in Saudi Arabia and then coming back to the US for college and work。 What experiences Huma had as a young person！！ She travelled all over the world with her educated and loving parents。 At age 20 she gets an internship at the White House， working for Hillary Clinton。 She stayed with Clinton for at least I rarely review books that I have read， but this one is exceptional。 Definitely the best memoir I’ve ever read。 The story of Huma’s life is fascinating - from her start in Michigan to growing up in Saudi Arabia and then coming back to the US for college and work。 What experiences Huma had as a young person！！ She travelled all over the world with her educated and loving parents。 At age 20 she gets an internship at the White House， working for Hillary Clinton。 She stayed with Clinton for at least 25 years， while she was the First Lady， NY Senator， Secretary of State and presidential candidate。 Along the way she met Anthony Weiner and got married。 They had a very difficult marriage but， in the end， she thanks Anthony for giving her their son and letting her experience love for the first time - maybe sweeter because it was so short lived。 I admire Huma so much and cheer for her search for bliss， but found myself shaken by the racism she experienced and the heartache she felt in her marriage。 I can’t wait to see where she goes now。 。。。more
Stephanie
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Insightful， compassionate， and human！ Loved it！
Catherine
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I loved this book。 It is a massive book but I finished in 10 days because I could not put it down。 As a recently divorced mom and ambitious career woman with a passion for politics， I relate to Huma so much。 Like her， I also repeatedly turned the other cheek when repeatedly wronged by the father of my children。 She does a beautiful job of detailing her faith， her family， and her anxieties as she navigated a life at the center of political power。 Many other reviewers complained about how much thi I loved this book。 It is a massive book but I finished in 10 days because I could not put it down。 As a recently divorced mom and ambitious career woman with a passion for politics， I relate to Huma so much。 Like her， I also repeatedly turned the other cheek when repeatedly wronged by the father of my children。 She does a beautiful job of detailing her faith， her family， and her anxieties as she navigated a life at the center of political power。 Many other reviewers complained about how much this book focused on Hilary Clinton or admonished Huma for her fawning praise of Hilary but it feels so genuine and therefore necessary in this book as over 25 years of her life has intersected so tightly with Hilary's。 。。。more
dc
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huma has added to the historical record。 i’m so glad she did。
Tara Sahdev
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Simply incredible。
Beckie Hinze
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I was fascinated！ This memoir isn't for everyone - but I loved every second as if I was watching the political activity of the good， the bad and the ugly of politics。 The author is the narrator which makes the （very long） book even more engaging as we can hear every intonation - and emotion fill her voice。 The length is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars。 This book is about strong， powerful， courageous women。 I love when I have finished a book and can say - "I learned so much！" Strong fema I was fascinated！ This memoir isn't for everyone - but I loved every second as if I was watching the political activity of the good， the bad and the ugly of politics。 The author is the narrator which makes the （very long） book even more engaging as we can hear every intonation - and emotion fill her voice。 The length is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars。 This book is about strong， powerful， courageous women。 I love when I have finished a book and can say - "I learned so much！" Strong female friendships are a theme - and I love my gals as much as Hilary loves hers。 I learned about Abedin's Muslim faith - which continues to guide her。 Her love for her son and passion to protect him is what kept her sane during the darkest of days。 Do grab look at the printed book for some amazing photographs。 。。。more
Susan Sherwin
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Clearly， this is one of the best memoirs I've read！ Being a Muslim and a strong， intellectual loving family established Huma's ethics and belief that public service is a worthy profession and that women have a voice that matters。 In this very personal memoir we read of Huma's life as Hillary Clinton's long-time aide， friend and confidant， and she presents unvarnished respect for Hillary's leadership。 The "Hillary" that foes attacked during the 2016 election is revealed for what it was: blatant m Clearly， this is one of the best memoirs I've read！ Being a Muslim and a strong， intellectual loving family established Huma's ethics and belief that public service is a worthy profession and that women have a voice that matters。 In this very personal memoir we read of Huma's life as Hillary Clinton's long-time aide， friend and confidant， and she presents unvarnished respect for Hillary's leadership。 The "Hillary" that foes attacked during the 2016 election is revealed for what it was: blatant mysogynistic campaign lies and misinformation。 Huma's accounts belie that campaign rhetoric and illustrates her mentor as a brilliant， hardworking， kind and true friend。 Huma's high-pressure job was all-encompassing， and while the author had amazing opportunities she also faced great challenges。 With honesty and insight she shares the high and low points of her personal and professional life， chronicles her marriage to Anthony Weiner with his betrayals and the couple's love for their son。 Huma Abedin is an amazing woman， and this memoir was a pleasure to read。 。。。more
Leah Miller
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Really good read。
Tony Rodriguez
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This is an honest， painful to read at times， and brilliant memoir！ Huma Abedin is a true American patriot and public servant。 Wow。
Kim
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Huma is very open and honest with both her history， life with Anthony and her relationship working with HRC。 Her life with HRC is such a huge chunk of her life-it is the majority of the book。 It was a little long-but I enjoyed listening to Huma tell her story （I listened to this book）。 It also shows a more personal side of HRC Huma experienced by being so close to the Clintons
Christina Knudsen
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Fascinating and inspiring
Susan
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Great book！ A little wordy and that put me off at the beginning， but her writing is good and her story remarkable！ Was well worth the read even with the politics…very human and enlightening。
Morgan Helfman
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I listened to this book （almost 22 hours！） and absolutely loved it。 It was not just Huma's personal story of family， shame， and adventure， but provided deep insight into moments in recent history。 A must read for any political wonks who would like to get the inside scoop on the life on a top aide。 I listened to this book （almost 22 hours！） and absolutely loved it。 It was not just Huma's personal story of family， shame， and adventure， but provided deep insight into moments in recent history。 A must read for any political wonks who would like to get the inside scoop on the life on a top aide。 。。。more
Catrina Roberts
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Very good book。 What a lady Huma is 🥰
Bookworm
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Like many people， I knew of Abedin as being one of the closest aides to Hillary Rodham Clinton as as via her marriage to Anthony Weiner （plus the scandals and drama）， but I did not know her story。 This is a story of her life to about the current day （it ends pretty much with the election of President Joe Biden in 2020）， from her upbringing to career to working with Clinton， including right through the 2016 election and its aftermath on her personally。Not knowing a lot about her upbringing and ch Like many people， I knew of Abedin as being one of the closest aides to Hillary Rodham Clinton as as via her marriage to Anthony Weiner （plus the scandals and drama）， but I did not know her story。 This is a story of her life to about the current day （it ends pretty much with the election of President Joe Biden in 2020）， from her upbringing to career to working with Clinton， including right through the 2016 election and its aftermath on her personally。Not knowing a lot about her upbringing and childhood it was interesting to learn more about her parents and younger days， but it's probably understandable that most people will be mostly interested in her career， especially as she worked closely with Clinton。 There is some legitimate criticism that the book is too much about HRC but given how much Abedin's life is so entwined in many ways it's not a surprise。The last third of the book or so tends to focus more on her relationship with Weiner and the fallout from his personal issues。 We'll never know exactly how much of an impact Weiner's sexting had an impact on the Clinton campaign （as I write this， the FBI has recently search Donald Trump's home Mar-a-Lago in Florida earlier this week）。 It was really interesting to read this book as the FBI search and ongoing investigations into Trump continues--no one mentions Abedin or Weiner much as a factor in the 2016 election today but it was pretty interesting to remember the intense scrutiny at the time。The book is not out to change minds and I doubt you'll feel any differently about any of the people involved。 I would say the book very much needed an editor and might have done well to "sit" a little longer but all the same it's Abedin's story and this is how she wanted to tell it。 It was worth the read and I do hope she is happier。If you're interested in her specifically or viewing Clinton through the eyes of one of her closest aides， this certainly would be a good read。 And be warned， there are topics that may be difficult such as the death of her father。 And while it doesn't go into gruesome detail of Weiner's issues， what he did is discussed plus the aftermath （an investigation by children protective services， the divorce， the separation of parent and child when Weiner went to serve his sentence， etc。）。I got this as a bargain book to read on my own time （which was probably for the better considering how long it is）， and it should be available at your local library， too。 。。。more
Patrick
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I would go higher than 5 stars if I could。 I loved this book; Huma is a fantastic writer and storyteller。 She writes a moving portrait of her family， her background， and what it was like to work for Hillary Clinton while also finding herself and her own voice。 Beautifully done。
Amanda
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Fascinating account of Huma's private life and her experience over decades of working for HRC。 I learned a lot and have a real respect for the service she has given while feeling a bit sad at all she has sacrificed in service of her boss and as her ex-husband's victim。 Fascinating account of Huma's private life and her experience over decades of working for HRC。 I learned a lot and have a real respect for the service she has given while feeling a bit sad at all she has sacrificed in service of her boss and as her ex-husband's victim。 。。。more
Tara
，