Two years ago, I read and reviewed Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House. I admitted I wasn’t very familiar with author Alyssa Mastromonaco prior to 2017, but after Obama left office, I began to hear her on the podcast Pod Save America, from time to time. I loved hearing her stories about her time working in the Obama White House and I loved her commentary about the current mess the country is in, so I was pleased to receive a copy of her second book, So Here’s The Thing…Notes On Growing Up, Getting Older, and Trusting Your Gut from Twelve Books in return for my honest review. (It actually came out in 2019, but somehow I missed it).

Full disclosure, her politics pretty much aligns with mine, and she shares the sense of wonder I feel when I wonder “How many times has some news story broken to cries of “This is finally the nail in the coffin for Trump? And it never is.” She’s aware that “Trump is a propaganda machine, sowing anxiety in order to scare his base into voting for him. “And as we near the 2020 election, my anxiety level continues to rise because, like her, “...it sometimes seems as if the Democrativ Party is engaged in a slapstick performance of ineptitude for laughs.”

While her first book was more of a memoir of her time in the White House, this book is described as  “ twenty-first-century girl’s guide to life, tackling the highs and lows of bodies, politics, relationships, moms, education, life on the internet, and pop culture.” The title comes from her use of the phrase “So here’s the thing,” which she covers in the book, including her colleagues’ reaction to its (over?)use. The book includes some great stories about the White House years as well as some of the TMI episodes she is known for, and I loved her honest voice and willingness to reveal her (many) insecurities, health issues (including fertility and IBS), and relationships that led up to her marriage to someone who truly “gets” her.  My favorite chapters were the one on Susan Rice (currently on the short list as a VP candidate), “Why You Should Always Listen To Michelle Obama,”and the ones on Monica Lewinsky (and I totally agree…the podcast Slow Burn is a must-listen!)

Bottom line, she knows how dire our situation is, and that currently “Everyone in government seems more concerned with their images than with the clusterfuck they’ve wrought on the American people.” And I am glad that she is willing to continue to be an activist, recognizing that although it’s “not like I think my participation in politics is necessary or meaningful. Nobody’s is. But I worked too hard, and saw too much, to sit idly by as a bigot reigns over the Oval Office. “

I love her. I’m now subscribed to the podcast “Hysteria” just to hear more from her, and I hope she keeps writing. It’s not earth-shaking or literary. But it’s fun and informative and honest, and a good reminder of the importance of restoring normalcy to the White House. Five stars.