First daughter Jenna Bush’s nonfiction book Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope won’t be published until October, but the galleys have just crossed our desk, and we are, well, perplexed. The 25-year-old has said she based the book on a series of interviews with a 17-year-old, HIV-positive unwed mother she befriended during her stint as a UNICEF volunteer in Latin America last year. The resulting book, aimed at teens and young adults, means to educate and inspire, but it shocked us for a couple of reasons.
First is its sexual frankness.The book ends with a lengthy appendix that includes several tips on how teens can protect themselves against AIDS and other STDs, and it includes sentences like this one: "Whether or not you choose to wait until your married or older to become sexually active, give yourself as much time as you need to make a well-thought-out and mature decision." (Since the book is still in galley form, the final text may read differently.) It’s hard enough to imagine President Bush signing off on his daughter’s decision to take an unpaid position with the dreaded United Nations, but to have her return and repudiate the administration’s position that the only kind of sex education kids should be taught is abstinence-only — why, next thing you know, she’ll be marching against the war and the repeal of the inheritance tax.
Even more shocking: the book is good.
Maybe too good. In fact, though there’s no ghostwriter listed, wehave a hard time imagining she wrote it herself. Not because nothing inher past anticssuggested she had a thoughtful, intellectual bent, or because sheoccasionally uses big words like "dichotomy" or references to thepaintings of Gauguin, but because the book is too smooth. Its languagehas a literary purity, and its narrative flows seamlessly back andforth between the interior and exterior lives of "Ana" and the peoplearound her, all of whom vividly remember offhand details of eventsgoing back to their early childhoods or verbatim quotations fromlong-ago conversations. It reads, in other words, like a very goodnovel for young teens; it’s hard to say even if "Ana" and the othersare real people, since the author has changed all their names (toprotect their privacy, she says) and doesn’t even name the city andcountry they live in.
Is it churlish for us to think this way? Suppose the whole book is abig fraud — doesn’t it still have the potential to educate largenumbers of teens? Then again, wasn’t that the argument that was made indefense of James Frey? What say you, PopWatchers?
UPDATE: D’oh! Commenters, don’t be so quick to blame that "your/you’re" error on Jenna Bush. That may have been my own transcription typo, not hers; I’ll have to go back to the galley and check. But even if that’s the book’s error, remember that this is a galley and that the text shouldn’t be considered final until the book comes out this fall. Then you may nitpick the book’s grammar and spelling to your heart’s content.
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I work at a publishing house, and even if Jenna doesn’t have a ghostwriter, her editor could still have done most of the polishing and basically rewritten the book from the raw material. It happens all the time. I don’t know about the book being a fraud, since I haven’t seen it, but you’re right that it may still help a lot of teens, and I think she should be given the benefit of the doubt until the book is published. Just because her father is a crook doesn’t mean she has to be.
Well, whatever polishing and/or editing has been done, I hope someone spots that typo in the quotation included: “you’re” not “your”
The difference between Jenna’s book and James Frey’s book is that, even if his wasn’t all true, at least he actually wrote it himself. You will never get me to believe that a moron like Jenna Bush wrote a book, especially if it’s even remotely good. On the other hand, a phrase like “whether or not you choose to wait until your married” sounds like (or rather, is spelled like) something Jenna Bush would write.
And I WON’T be buying the book. Sorry to get political, but I have no desire to be lectured to by a party girl whose dad took us into a needless war that has killed and maimed thousands.
GingerCat is right. Chances are, it was written by a ghost writer. Most books written by so-called celebrities have a lot of uncredited help.
I have no idea if she did or did not write it (or received significant help), but why do we have to assume she is an idiot? Because we saw a few pictures of a college age girl having fun with her friends with a drink in her hand? I am an ivy-league eduducated woman with a successful career, and I can tell you there are quite a few similar pictures (and stories) floating around of me out there. I hardly think a few youthful indiscretions makes someone a moron. And having a moron for a parent definitely doesn’t, either.
if jenna is a ‘party girl’ i guess that i am one too- and every other college student who has ever drank can be thrown into our category as well. come on- i am by no means a bush fan but calling jenna a moron is as bad as the right wingers who used to glee in mocking chelsea’s looks. you don’t know jenna, gingercat, and she has no role in the policies of the current administration. that’s fine that you won’t buy the book (i won’t either as i am not in its target demographic) but give the girl some credit. when is the last time you did the amount of volunteer work she has?
I would be really glad if her volunteering has sobered her — in every sense. That would be great.
Ghostwriter does not equal fraud – you can not name one single autobiography or business book that didn’t use one. Regardles, there’s a mega error in the single quote you share: it’s “you’re” not “your” and EW should’ve written [sic] if the typo’s hers.
Meanwhile, is the US so far right that saying “whether or not” is radical? Unless Tip #1 is USE CONDOMS, ths book is a health fraud, which is more important.
This piece is under-reported. Glad it’s good, but please give us more of her “tips on how teens can protect themselves against AIDS” (and please tell me she doesn’t sound as glib as EW to say “tips”!
I hope that if it there is fraud involved, it doesn’t get exposed. It would just become an excuse to shift the focus away from the dialogue this topic (hopefully) creates to the scandal surrounding the book.
I just think it’s refreshing to see someone related to the administration that isn’t, to borrow a catchphrase, a “major league @sshole” (At least regarding this subject, I have no knowledge of her politics otherwise).
Ah come on. Give her a break. I think its wonderful she is writing a book AND its good. . . hopefully it is written just by her and kudos for her stance on protecting our children from STD’s by educating them . . . Back off the poor kid and let her have her shot
I Believe the point she is making about Sexual activity is, if you are going to do it, be smart, think, and don’t do it just because it’s there. Don’t treat it like a game.
I watched a film about teenagers who for fun were having unprotected sex. At least 20 of them came down with the Syph. It was quite alarming for the “Bible Belt.” This is a true story. It happened in the 90s. It has become a sport these days to see how many people one can have sex with. “Hooking Up” spells,”I have no respect for my body.”
I am in the camp of giving her a break. Let’s hope she can rise above her genetic disadvantage. It is humorous that the passage singled out here just happens to contain a punctuation error; wonder if it’s actually intentional (i.e. “proof” Jenna actually wrote it).
it sound sinteresting, but it is aimed at teens (i.e. the reading level) or will it read like an adult novel? and I just hope it won’t preach like some horrible health class film, or worse, a lifetime movie
sdr, you’re right that I don’t know Jenna Bush, but she’s in the public eye, and I’m judging her on the behavior I’ve seen. And, as a matter of fact, I do hours and hours of volunteer work every month, and have been for years. You say I don’t know Jenna; well you don’t know me AT ALL, so don’t make it personal. Come up with a better argument than that.
I stand by my original statement. Nothing I’ve seen about Jenna Bush makes me think she’s remotely qualified for something like this. If her twin sister Barbara had done it, I might feel a little differently. Barbara hasn’t behaved as badly as Jenna has.
Also, the Chelsea comparison isn’t at all apt. Calling someone on their BEHAVIOR is obviously not the same as making fun of their looks.
Stephen, I hope you go for a regular check up.
Who cares?
http://amwt.blogspot.com
As the daughter of another misguided, overwhelming man, it’s tough to have people see you beyond your father’s rep. So I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. I hope the book is good and helps a few kids–honestly. I don’t think anyone would be surprised if she uses a ghost, but it would be great if he/she were given credit. But a lot of her “party girl” rep comes from a impression of smugness and of being above the rules other people have to abide. I have no idea if that’s true or not, but she better be ready for the magnifying lens when she publishes this book. Her dad’s a lame duck and she’s publishing as an adult, so anything and everything will open to the press.
I’m not against regular check-ups, I just hope it’s not over-sentimental and contrived. I’m not an idiot.
Calm down Stephen. Nice to know you have your thinking cap on.
I’m glad I’m not the first one to comment on the “your”/”you’re” problem in the quote. (“Whether or not you choose to wait until your married or older…”) Hope they catch that. Disappointed that they released that mistake even just to the press.
I hope this mistake has been fixed. This could spell the end of her college career or worse, she wont be daddy’s girl.
What amazes me the most is that Jenna actually knows how to write, coming from that gene pool, it’s a real miracle.
isn’t the point of the book to help teenagers in some form or another? just because she is the daughter of the president doesn’t make her an idiot. you’re attacking the person who wrote the book rather then the content. you all don’t even know the girl and your passing judgment from what you see on TV? ok…that’s wise…go on thinkin’ that the TV is all truth and no lies or manipulation! most do anyways. i hope this book does well and that the youth of america take into consideration the meaning behind it…You go girl! Forget the haters! Do what you have to do. More power to you!
Hey, “give me a break,” if you want your argument to carry a little weight, you might want to watch your own spelling and capitalization. Just sayin.’.
As for Jenna, didn’t she actually get in trouble with the police for underage drinking? The child of a president needs to be more careful than that. I’m sure Chelsea Clinton and the Gore daughters did their share of partying, but the police never had to be involved. It’s the fact that Jenna was so indiscreet about it that makes me wonder about her brain power.
fine- you’re right. she’s a drunk idiot who has no redeeming qualities to offer society as a whole. keep making our world more and more divisive. i have nothing against jenna or any other offspring of politicians because i don’t know them personally and i cannot judge them on public policy because it is not an area for which they are responsible. but keep the hate coming- it’s really helpful.
Hey there EW, way to hang someone before knowing all the facts. Sounds a bit religious right-y to me.
sdr: And yet you feel that you can judge me. Like that’s helpful.
In case you didn’t notice, the whole point of this blog was that Gary Susman was somewhat surprised that the book was well written. That’s because Jenna Bush has a reputation as a party girl. Like it or not, she bears some responsibility for that reputation because of her actions.
People are entitled to their opinions, even if they don’t agree with yours.
And now I’m done with this topic, because apparently if I don’t agree with sdr that means I’m hateful and have no right to say anything.
“kat Mon, Jul 2, 2007 at 08:25 AM EST
I am an ivy-league eduducated woman with a successful career, and I can tell you there are quite a few similar pictures (and stories) floating around of me out there.”
Sigh… I’m sorry, but an ivy-league education and a good job do not an intelligent person make. One is not automatically smart simply because they attended Harvard. Your post really rubbed me the wrong way.
I don’t fault Gary Susman for being confused by the quality of the book (though it is quite amusing that the excerpt used had a misspelled word). It’s not just her past; it’s that she’s very young and one might not expect polished writing from someone with little or no experience.
she looks just like her father
“she looks just like her father”
I know… poor girl!!!