Where we keep the light Stories from a life of service

The Pennsylvania governor threads personal history with political résumé. In a memoir that is politically shrewd and deeply personal, Shapiro discusses the importance of his Jewish faith, family devotion, and public service. He opens with a harrowing account of the 2025 arson attack on the governor's residence following his family's Passover Seder, then traces the origins of his convictions. "My dad was the local pediatrician who just about everyone leaned on," Shapiro writes. His mother was a teacher and a "pillar in the community" who struggled with mental illness--"not something I have talked much about, even privately, but certainly not publicly." Shapiro recounts formative experiences: a semester studying in Israel, high school and college basketball--he earned the nickname "The General" for his court vision and leadership--and, significantly, the courtship of his wife-to-be, Lori, who would become his most trusted adviser on pivotal career decisions. Throughout, he's engaging and comes off as genuinely likable, offering glimpses into both triumph and tension. The memoir's core chronicles his methodical rise through Pennsylvania politics, emphasizing his ability to work across party lines on issues like police funding that didn't always align with Democratic orthodoxy. As attorney general, he released a 2018 grand jury report alleging abuse of more than 1,000 children by over 300 priests, a defining moment detailed with unflinching candor. A later chapter recalls the contentious vetting process for Kamala Harris' vice-presidential selection. When her team asked, "Have you ever been an agent of the Israeli government?" Shapiro writes, "I told [the vettor] how offensive the question was." His decision to withdraw was sealed when Harris clarified the role: "Your job, she explained to me is to make sure that you are not a problem for the President"--hardly a collaborative partnership. Shapiro has written the kind of memoir that doubles as an extended introduction: part life story grounded in faith and family, part record of executive competence and civic duty, part vision statement for what might come next. A candid insider account of state-level politics and the art of successful bipartisan governance. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.