From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein

I don’t know if I’ve ever left feeling so conflicted about a book that I like.

So let me start off. I really, really enjoyed the book. The writing is superbly done. I read the blurb for this story and knew I HAD to read it. As a young staffer living in DC–not for the White House, but still–this book was calling my name. Beck has a great voice. There are moments when I was laughing out loud, much to the despair of my roommates I’m sure.

I don’t read a lot of memoirs, as can be evidenced by both this blog and my GoodReads profile. So perhaps this is part of what comes with reading about someone’s actual life, however I had troubles with the decisions that Beck made.

She isn’t a character in a story but a real human, so I won’t belittle her at all. We’ve all made bad decisions, especially in the romantic aspects of our lives. I fall into that category as well. However, this romantic relationship was so interwoven with her experience in the White House that I did have some troubles. I experience secondhand anxiety, and hide in my covers when imaginary characters do something embarrassing. So this took it to another level. It was part of the reason that I set the book down for a while.

The glimpse into her life however, is appreciated. There were passages, and moments in the book that floored me. The inspirational things people said. And simply? Those moments gave me butterflies. Additionally, reading about what it was like for someone to work in a setting like that, for someone they so greatly admire. Wonderful. It truly was a job of a lifetime, as any position in the White House should be, and her insight into that world was beautifully detailed.

All-in-all, Beck writes an addicting book. Some moments were definite train-wrecks (we’ve all had them), occasionally there were moments I wanted to sit Beck down, hand her a cup of tea and say, “Girl. Let’s talk.” From the Corner of the Oval weaves vivid storytelling, and draws the reader in. It provides a unique, and extremely human, lens on the world we so often only see described by pundits. What I loved most however, was it felt like I was getting a story told to me by my older sister, from one DC staffer to another.

So if you do read the book, which I think any twenty-something should (and beyond twenty-somethings too! No one has their lives figured out), remember to love what you do, even if it’s crazy; life is messy and hard, and that’s okay; and finally, surround yourself with friends who you can have more fun with at their apartment than at a fancy event, but will go to both with you.

I am incredibly grateful to Beck Dorey-Stein, NetGalley, and Random House Spiegel & Grau.

Finally! I have some more fun things to go along with this book.

Random House sent a playlist that would be great to read along with.

You can also check out their trailer for the book.