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1一In1959,IwrotemyautobiographyforanassignmentinMrs.King’ssixthgrade.Intwenty-ninepages,mosthalf-filledwithearnestscrawl,Idescribedmyparents,brothers,pets,house,hobbies,school,sportsandplansforthefuture.Forty-twoyearslater,Ibeganwritinganothermemoir,thisoneabouttheeightyearsIspentintheWhiteHouselivinghistorywithBillClinton.IquicklyrealizedthatIcouldnotexplainmylifeasFirstLadywithoutgoingbacktothebeginning—howIbecamethewomanIwasthatfirstdayIwalkedintotheWhiteHouseonJanuary20,1993,totakeonanewroleandexperiencesthatwouldtestandtransformmeinunexpectedways.AlthoughI’vehadtobeselective,IhopethatI’veconveyedthepushandpullofeventsandrelationshipsthataffectedmeandcontinuetoshapeandenrichmyworldtoday.SinceleavingtheWhiteHouse,representingNewYorkinUnitedSenatorhasbeenahumblinganddauntingresponsibility,andoneIhopetowriteaboutmorefullyatalatertime.ThehorrificeventsofSep.11th2001madethatclearbybringinghometoNewYorkersandAmericans.TherolewemustallplaytoprotectandstrengthentheDemocraticidealsthathaveinspiredandguidedournationformorethan200years.ThesearethesameideasthatasfarbackasIcanrememberornurturedinmegrowingup.ApoliticallifeI'veoftensaidisacontinuingeducationinhumannatureincludingone'sown.My8yearsintheWhiteHousetestedmyfaithandpoliticalbelieves,mymarriageandournation'sconstitutionandsystemofgovernment.IbecamealightningrodforpoliticalandideologicalbattleswagedoverAmerica’sfutureandamagnetforfeelings,goodandbad,aboutwomen’schoicesandroles.ThisisthestoryofhowIexperiencedthose8yearsasFirstLadyandasthewifeofthepresidentandhowImadethedecisiontorunfortheUnitedStatesSenatorfromNewYorkanddevelopmypoliticalvoice.SomemayaskhowIcouldgiveanaccurateaccountofevents,peopleandplacesthataresorecentandofwhichIamstillapart.Ihavedonemybesttoconveymyobservations,thoughtsandfeelingsasIexperiencedthem.Thisisnotmeanttobeacomprehensivehistory,butapersonalmemoirthatoffersaninsidelookatanextraordinarytimeinmylifeandinthelifeofAmerica.二Iwasn’tbornafirstladyorasenator.Iwasn’tbornaDemocrat.Iwasn’tbornalawyeroranadvocateforwomen’srightsandhumanrights.Iwasn’tbornawifeormother.IwasbornanAmericaninthemiddleofthetwentiethcentury,afortunatetimeandplace.Iwasfreetomakechoicesunavailabletopastgenerationsofwomeninmyowncountryandinconceivabletomanywomenintheworldtoday.IcameofageonthecrestoftumultuoussocialchangeandtookpartinthepoliticalbattlesfoughtoverthemeaningofAmericaanditsroleintheworld.Mymotherandmygrandmotherscouldneverhavelivedmylife;myfatherandmygrandfatherscouldn’thaveimaginedit.ButtheybestowedonmethepromiseofAmerica,whichmademylifeandmychoicespossible.2MystorybeganintheyearsfollowingWorldWarII,whenmenlikemyfatherwhohadservedtheircountryreturnedhometosettledown,makealivingandraiseafamily.ItwasthebeginningoftheBabyBoom,anoptimistictime.TheUnitedStateshadsavedtheworldfromfascism,andnowournationwasworkingtouniteformeradversariesintheaftermathofwar,reachingouttoalliesandtoformerenemies,securingthepeaceandhelpingtorebuildadevastatedEuropeandJapan.AlthoughtheColdWarwasbeginningwiththeSovietUnionandEasternEurope,myparentsandtheirgenerationfeltsecureandhopeful.Americansupremacywastheresultnotjustofmilitarymight,butofourvaluesandoftheabundantopportunitiesavailabletopeoplelikemyparentswhoworkedhardandtookresponsibility.Middle-classAmericawasflushwithemergingprosperityandallthatcomeswithit―newhouses,fineschools,neighborhoodparksandsafecommunities.Yetournationalsohadunfinishedbusinessinthepost-warera,particularlyregardingrace.AnditwastheWorldWarIIgenerationandtheirchildrenwhowokeuptothechallengesofsocialinjusticeandinequalityandtotheidealofAmerica’spromisetoallofitscitizens.MyparentsweretypicalofagenerationwhobelievedintheendlesspossibilitiesofAmericaandwhosevalueswererootedintheexperienceoflivingthroughtheGreatDepression.Theybelievedinhardwork,notentitlement;self-reliancenotself-indulgence.ThatistheworldandthefamilyIwasbornintoonOctober26,1947.Weweremiddle-class,Midwesternandverymuchaproductofourplaceandtime.Mymother,DorothyHowellRodham,wasahomemakerwhosedaysrevolvedaroundmeandmytwoyoungerbrothers.Myfather,HughE.Rodham,ownedasmallbusiness.Thechallengesoftheirlivesmademeappreciatetheopportunitiesofmyownlifeevenmore.I’mstillamazedathowmymotheremergedfromherlonelyearlylifeassuchanaffectionateandlevelheadedwoman.ShewasborninChicagoin1919.In1927,mymother’syoungparentsEdwinJohnHowellJrandDellaMurraygotadivorce.Dellaessentiallyhadabandonedmymotherwhenshewasonlythreeorfour,livingheralonewithmealticketstousetouseatarestaurant.三Neitherwaswillingtocarefortheirchildren,sotheysenttheirdaughtersaloneona3-daytraintripfromChicagotoAlhambrainCaliforniatolivewiththeirpaternalgrandparents.Mymother'sgrandfather,EdwinSr.,aformerBritishsailor,leftthegirlstohiswife,Emma,aseverewomanwhoworeblackVictoriandressesandresentedandignoredmymotherexceptwhenenforcingherrigidhouserules.MymotherfoundsomerelieffromtheoppressiveconditionsofEmma’shouseintheoutdoors.SheranthroughtheorangegrovesthatstretchedformilesintheSanGabrielValley,losingherselfinthe3scentoffruitripeninginthesun.Atnight,shewoulde