Cassidy Hutchinson has written a political thriller of the Trump administration. ( )

Fascinating to read her almost blow by blow description of all she went through at such a young age! She happens to be an unusual, I'm assuming, young woman in her ability to be so very organized and conscious of what is going on around her, and with a terrific memory. As a country, we are fortunate that she came forth when she did and what a tumultuous experience to try and get any kind of legal help to help sort out what she should do. I'm glad she took the time to write this book to remind at least those who read it, what is at stake. Her personal story is what makes this book so very readable. For those of us who have kept a close eye on what has been happening, what she describes in detail just brings more detail into light. ( )

I usually don't read "tell all" books or books by people in the news or people of power. They are clearly one-sided. After hearing Cassidy Hutchinson's interview on the podcast Just the Right Book, I decided to listen to it. The author reads the book. She does a decent job.

I don't think I learned anything new, really, but the book mainly tells about Cassidy's family (emphasis on her father) and her desire to work for the public as these ambitions collide with the Donald Trump presidency. Perhaps what is most interesting is how young Washington is. She was in her early twenties when she worked for these very powerful people. She's a gifted organizer who takes care of her boss with great care. She plans for everything. She isn't the only one who works for the government power players. Interns are everywhere and they are the assistants who pretty much do everything. Interns are mostly in the twenties. Cassidy is so good at her job and loyal that she has a reputation, making her a good hire. She finds herself working for the final Chief of Staff for Donald Trump, Mark Meadows. She doesn't make him out to be particularly good at his job. I don't know if this impression was intended or if it's even her opinion. Trump demands loyalty and Cassidy is loyal. She believes in Donald Trump until they hint that they don't believe in her. When her loyalty is questioned, she realizes that she isn't under the Trump umbrella anymore. She won't be going with him to Florida after his loss in the 2020 election. Only at this point does Ms. Hutchinson find herself reflecting on the Trump bubble. She steps back and sees that she was caught in the Trump work. She realizes that she will be subpoenaed due to her access to the President and his Chief of Staff. She was Mark Meadows' Chief of Staff, telling people what they could and couldn't do--as an intern. It was quite a bit of power. It's only after getting away and seeing her situation from a distance that she realizes that Trump is not someone she can support for President again. It costs her her job and further deteriorates her relationship with her father as well as the powerful members of the Republican party.

I found the people whom she found distasteful interesting: Ted Cruz and Matt Gaetz. They've always struck me as yucky, but it's nice to have this opinion confirmed by someone who actually spent time with them. Ms. Hutchinson wants people to know that they cannot vote for Donald Trump. She tries to detail that he is also distasteful. He desires to be an autocrat instead of someone who puts country first. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Therefore, the book is a cautionary tale of getting trapped in the Trump World, not realizing the perils involved.

I didn't thing Ms. Hutchinson was a savior of the world, but I am glad she stepped back and did some thinking. She credits Liz Chaney with helping her find courage and belief in herself. I never felt like I was there, in the room, so to speak. Overall, I did find her story interesting. ( )

Although she had congressional internships during her college years, Cassidy Hutchenson remained naïve and approached her first full-time Trump White House job with idealistic eyes. Working in the Office of Legislative Affairs, her organizational skills and hard work quickly got her noticed. Those strengths led Mark Medows' to recruit her to serve as his assistant during his time as White House Chief of Staff.

Nearly half the book was devoted to Cassidy’s description of her early life. Her professional career wasn’t addressed until the second half of the book.

Cassidy grew up in a lower-middle-class New Jersey neighborhood. Her parents broke up during her youth, Once close, her relationship with her paternal father grew increasingly troubled. Her father, a mean-spirited individual, had irrational rightest beliefs in support of his self-serving impersonal actions. These, he continually professed to Cassidy as she was growing up.

In the second half of the book, Cassidy describes day-to-day office events and the consequences of the actions she took to further the administration’s goals. Cassidy claims to have an excellent memory and it would have taken one to relate those experiences in detail she provided.

January 6 was a turning point for Cassidy. The event made her question Donald Trump’s bizarre efforts at election denial after internally admitting the loss to Mark Meadows. He also refused to allow staff to take any steps toward turning over the White House to the Biden administration. Requiring, and often redefining staff loyalty, he demanded absolute support for whatever claims he made at the time. Trump continued becoming more extreme and quickly turned-on people he thought may be the source of White House press leaks, even though the leak claims were unsubstantiated.

When Cassidy was asked to testify to the January 6th Committee, Trump’s support team provided her with an attorney at their expense. She was advised to claim that she lacked any memory of the issues questioned by the Committee. With no means of support, Cassidy couldn’t afford to pay for an attorney so she felt trapped by the Trump support cabal. About that time, Cassady read a book that greatly influenced her, The Last of the President's Men by Bob Woodward. She felt that Alexander Butterfield’s decision to testify before the congressional committee that was looking into Nixon’s Watergate affair was a decision similar to what she was struggling with. Seeing that he did the right thing for the country, not for President Nixon, gave her the courage to find a solution to her unease.

After confiding her concerns to a former White House staff member who now worked for Liz Cheney, her friend passed on Cassidy’s dilemma to Liz Cheney who then called Casady to refer her to three attorney firms to interview for independent legal advice. One of those was an Atlanta law practice that Casady felt very comfortable with after talking to the two partners on the phone, both of whom were Republicans. The two attorneys went on to provide legal advice and support pro bono and they protected her against the harassment and dirty tricks of Trump supporters. Based on their advice, Cassidy changed her testimony and, with the help of her excellent memory, provided the January 6th Committee with telling evidence that they deemed essential for the public to hear.

Cassidy has a great deal of respect for Liz Cheney and very much appreciated the support Cheney provided during and since her public testimony. To Cassidy, Liz Cheney stands for the Republican party at its best, one that governs itself in support of the Constitution and not in support of a leader.

There were no new revelations in the book. What is known from her January 6th testimony and subsequent interviews is reiterated in describing the events that occurred during her White House employment. Enough is an autobiography that speaks about her trials growing up and her professional development during her Trump White House years. It was an interesting read because of who she was, her public testimony regarding Donald Trump, and the disorganization Trump sewed in the White House. ( )

I wanted to love this book, and at the end, I did. But the book needs a better editor, especially in the first half. There is so much unnecessary detail about her early years and the beginning of her journey in Washington D.C.

That said, maybe I was just anxious to get to the real meat of the story - the January 6th 2021 details. It did not disappoint.

Much of the information I'd already heard, from her testimony to the Jan6 committee and from more recent interviews. But there are other details that are quite interesting, and it's good to hear more of her perspective and the sacrifices she had to make to stay safe.

I came away from the book with deep respect for Cassidy, her team of lawyers, Liz Cheney, and a few other players. And also deep disgust for the former president (which was nothing new for me), Mark Meadows (who is a total dick), and the sycophants who continue to stick by the Big Lie.

We are still on the brink of losing our democracy. My hope is that there are Enough courageous souls like Cassidy who don't let the tribe mentality cloud the truth and are willing to do the right thing. ( )