Politics & Government
![Valerie Biden Owens - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0989GR7YH.jpg)
Growing Up Biden: A Memoir
A memoir from Valerie Biden Owens, Joe Biden's younger sister, trusted confidante and lifelong campaign manager. Valerie, one of the first female campaign managers in United States history, writes of the role of family, faith, and fate in shaping her life, and the power of empathy and kindness in the face of turmoil and division.
Growing Up Biden details Valerie's decades-long professional career in politics, and the central role she played in her brother's life as an insightful adviser, an ever-loyal advocate and best friend.
This memoir, full of candor and warmth, brings readers into the Biden home and shares stories from growing up in Delaware as the only daughter of the close-knit Irish Catholic family. Valerie writes in a compelling, relatable way about the challenges she faced breaking through gender barriers, the elusive nature of confidence, and navigating professional responsibilities while raising children.
Growing Up Biden details Valerie's decades-long professional career in politics, and the central role she played in her brother's life as an insightful adviser, an ever-loyal advocate and best friend.
This memoir, full of candor and warmth, brings readers into the Biden home and shares stories from growing up in Delaware as the only daughter of the close-knit Irish Catholic family. Valerie writes in a compelling, relatable way about the challenges she faced breaking through gender barriers, the elusive nature of confidence, and navigating professional responsibilities while raising children.
Editorial Reviews
"[A]t the book's core is a familiar Biden theme: the loyal, faithful family―one that might seem too loving to be true if we hadn't seen the extent to which each member has been tested. The beating heart of President Biden's life and career has always been family."
―Elle Magazine, "Valerie Biden Owens Is Her Brother's Keeper"
"Valerie Biden Owens, the best friend, confidante, sister and long-time campaign manager of President Joe Biden, is a force to be reckoned with. She is a successful political strategist and a family-orientated mom of three whose life's work has been to not only support and advise her brother during his long political career but also empower women to follow their dreams. Leading by example, she serves as an inspiration to women in politics and beyond."
―Parade.com, "Valerie Biden Owens Reflects on Her Trailblazing Career and Family in New Memoir, Growing Up Biden"
"Growing Up Biden is exactly what you expect: A loving tribute to Joe Biden from his only sister, loyal confidante and fierce defender. Valerie Biden Owens has been at his side for 76 years but has deliberately stayed in the background. As the mother of three children, teacher and longtime campaign manager puts it: "It's fair to say that I lived the first forty years of my public adult life in Joe's shadow."
―Washington Post, "Ten things we learned from the new Valerie Biden Owens book"
"Such is the story of Val and Joe, partners in politics and confidantes in campaigns, the former always following and helping the latter. That's the spine of Growing Up Biden…"
―PEOPLE.com, "Joe Biden's Sister Valerie Opens Up: ‘We Bleed Like Every Family in America'"
"What a terrific memoir! With an uncanny gift for storytelling and an eye for colorful detail, Biden artfully interweaves personal and public recollections to capture our imagination from start to finish. As future historians seek to understand the Biden family, there will be no better place to start than this intimate, warm, and beautifully written portrait."
―Doris Kearns Goodwin
"With grace and candor, Valerie Biden Owens has given us an illuminating and moving memoir of an American family whose history is now inextricably intertw...
―Elle Magazine, "Valerie Biden Owens Is Her Brother's Keeper"
"Valerie Biden Owens, the best friend, confidante, sister and long-time campaign manager of President Joe Biden, is a force to be reckoned with. She is a successful political strategist and a family-orientated mom of three whose life's work has been to not only support and advise her brother during his long political career but also empower women to follow their dreams. Leading by example, she serves as an inspiration to women in politics and beyond."
―Parade.com, "Valerie Biden Owens Reflects on Her Trailblazing Career and Family in New Memoir, Growing Up Biden"
"Growing Up Biden is exactly what you expect: A loving tribute to Joe Biden from his only sister, loyal confidante and fierce defender. Valerie Biden Owens has been at his side for 76 years but has deliberately stayed in the background. As the mother of three children, teacher and longtime campaign manager puts it: "It's fair to say that I lived the first forty years of my public adult life in Joe's shadow."
―Washington Post, "Ten things we learned from the new Valerie Biden Owens book"
"Such is the story of Val and Joe, partners in politics and confidantes in campaigns, the former always following and helping the latter. That's the spine of Growing Up Biden…"
―PEOPLE.com, "Joe Biden's Sister Valerie Opens Up: ‘We Bleed Like Every Family in America'"
"What a terrific memoir! With an uncanny gift for storytelling and an eye for colorful detail, Biden artfully interweaves personal and public recollections to capture our imagination from start to finish. As future historians seek to understand the Biden family, there will be no better place to start than this intimate, warm, and beautifully written portrait."
―Doris Kearns Goodwin
"With grace and candor, Valerie Biden Owens has given us an illuminating and moving memoir of an American family whose history is now inextricably intertw...
Readers Top Reviews
John J. SmithJKZRuby
An inspiring story of how family rallies to support each other during times of tragedy, and develops the courage and strength to push forward. Thought provoking, heartful, and full of warmth, this memoir provides great insight into a family that has served the public sector for decades, and continues to do so. Full of personal reflection, insights and great stories that highlight, in the end, family triumphs over all.
Taylor
Such a heartfelt and truly nurturing book. It not only offers a glimpse into the upbringing of an American president, but shows us the true power of family.
Emilyn50
A story about love, tenacity, and what makes family…truly family. A touching memoir about life, but the unspoken and often overshadowed view from the author, who is a predominant female trailblazer in a male dominated world balancing alongside being a true sister.
Christine
I really enjoyed this book/audio narrated by the author. Valerie is President Biden's sister. I love how she talks about her relationship with her brother and their family. She shares many stories of their childhood all the way up to the election. They are very close and she stepped up when Joe lost his first wife and daughter in a car accident. 🇺🇸 She is very transparent on her relationships including her husbands and others. She examines many things through out their lives. She was instrumental as a fierce sister and protective of everyone in her family. I found her narrative very transparent and it was refreshing. I loved her comparison of the light and the candle. You will have to read this novel to find out what she meant. 🇺🇸 Thank you NetGalley for this advanced audio and Celadon Books for a physical copy of this book. This book is due out April 12, 2022. #netgalley, #celadon, #macmillianaudio, #bookreview, #bookstagram, #valeriebiden, #growingupbiden, #stamperlady50, #booksconnectus
Christopher Castello
Valerie Biden has written a beautiful, eloquent and hopeful memoir everyone can enjoy. I can say without reservation that you will find part of yourself in her stories, learn of triumphs and travails, and laugh a whole lot. It is not a political book, although that is often the lens through which Valerie discusses moments in the life of a family, but it is her story, and one every American should know.
