(Reviewed by Heidi A. Swan)
From the first page, I was captured by this autobiography. Ms. Hart has been writing most of her life and it shows. Like her assignments which traveled the globe, Ms. Hart’s prose deftly jet sets over the years and touches down on world events and famous people in recent history.
Ms. Hart’s writing career began at the National Enquirer and ended with the United Nations. It’s fun to hear how the sausage was made at the Enquirer. One thing is for certain, her years at this gossip paper surely enhanced her ability to provide descriptions which are colorful, snappy and active. We hear about some of her more daring exploits: from sneaking into a Kennedy family wedding, to lying to Phil Donahue in the ICU, to knocking on several front doors which she always knew could be rightfully slammed in her face.
It was interesting also, to hear how other people in her orbit felt about her work. She shares the negative opinions of well-respected journalists, ex-boyfriends and, most poignantly, the victims of her predatory journalism. Combined, they helped to make her aware that such a job would not age well with her.
After finally taking off from the Enquirer, her career elevates even if it the paycheck is third-class. Almost-by-accident, Ms. Hart gets a job writing for the United Nations where she stayed for 30 years. While writing for the UN, she pens a famous, if overly-impulsive, headliner about Bill Clinton, sees Colin Powell in an embarrassing skit, reports on coups, disasters (both natural and humanitarian) and more–all while negotiating her career path with her husband and kids. She is so entrenched in her work that one of her daughter’s friends is shocked to find out her friend even has a mother at all. Ms. Hart has a good sense of humor about herself and her family while landing smart commentary. Below is a good example.
I hadn’t felt so conflicted about where I worked since my days at the National Enquirer…At some point you maybe you simply know and see too much….In one audacious example of impunity, a high level manager traveled the world spouting the new “women’s empowerment” jagon to UN offices in every region. In the meantime, he was having multiple affairs with staff back at headquarters. When one of his embittered underlings ratted him out, he was paid a small fortune to disappear. One might interpret the pay-off as a reward for being a hypocritical sleaze.
The author does a good job of assessing her choices and finding meaning. Cherie Hart had a good ride because, unlike a lot of women, she got to see and do what she wanted because she was the pilot of her own plane.
