The early reactions to Hillary Clinton's much-anticipated memoir (no prepublication review copies were distributed) have amounted to a kind of referendum on the person rather than a review of the book. Everyone has a theory about Clinton and why she wrote her book, but few of the commentators have bothered to read the volume, and none seem interested in reflecting on how it stacks up as an autobiography. In fact, it stacks up pretty darn well. Certainly the book has faults. Many early critics have pointed to the almost 600 pages and called the book too long. Wrong again; in some places, it isn't long enough. For instance, Clinton virtually flies over the Gennifer Flowers affair, and the other women in Bill Clinton's life--except for Monica and Paula--are not mentioned at all. She could have gained some space by not tipping her hat to so many good friends ; myriad people are so described. What Hillary does very well, however, is to give readers a sense of who she is, starting with an effective description of her childhood and college years that manages not only to reveal her character but also to evoke the era vividly and in great detail. Her evolution as a wife and mother, as First Lady, and as a political lightning rod is portrayed in an engaging fashion, and her discussions of political policy, while occasionally dry, are well reasoned and worth reading. The book works especially well when the private and public Mrs. Clintons come together; for example, when she spearheads the health-care wars as her own father is dying. Only true Clinton haters will refuse to see her as a woman of faith or dispute the fact she loves her husband. Those two qualities pervade the pages. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2003 Booklist

Whether or not you believe that the Clintons were victims of what Hillary calls a "vast right-wing conspiracy," this memoir has enough information and personality to appeal to people on both sides of the political fence. Most will not be surprised by Clinton's reading style, as it is similar (though not nearly as formal) to the manner in which she has delivered many television addresses. Her Midwestern accent is evenly pitched and pleasant. She easily laughs at herself, and fluctuations in her delivery render her emotions nearly palpable. Indeed, the casual straightforwardness of her delivery will engender a sense of trust and respect in listeners. Though she does not offer much new material, she is adept at disclosing many "backstage" details-from the personal, like her inner feelings about the Lewinsky scandal ("the most devastating, shocking and hurtful experience of my life"), to the humorous, like the time a mischievous Boris Yeltsin tried to coax her into sampling moose-lip soup. Her devotion to Chelsea, Bill and to her country feels genuine, as do her hopes for future. All in all, her infectious sense of optimism and unwavering energy shine through in her delivery and will leave listeners with a new respect for the former First Lady. Simultaneous release with the S&S hardcover. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved