Publishers Weekly
02/22/2021
CNN news anchor Baldwin debuts with a remarkable take on the power women can possess when they join forces. While women have made great strides for equality, she notes, there’s still much work to be done. To counter a scarcity mentality that has historically pitted women against each other, Baldwin suggests that women are, in fact, each other’s most valuable allies. She covers such significant moments as 1997’s Million Woman March and the 2017 Women’s March to show the power women can collectively wield, and highlights successful organizations such as AT&T’s Hello Sunshine Filmmaker Lab for girls. As for “finding your own huddle,” Baldwin encourages readers to get active in a movement they feel passionate about. Along the way, Baldwin gives ample ink to her own and others’ stories, notably the ways sports agent Lindsay Colas empowers her clients, and how TV producer Liz Tigelaar assembled a writing team comprising nearly all women for the adaptation of Little Fires Everywhere. Part rallying cry, part treatise, Baldwin’s thoughtful survey is sure to motivate. Agent: Albert Lee, UTA. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
"Brooke Baldwin has always been a fierce promoter of women. Her first book, Huddle, is an exemplification of what happens when women have one another’s backs. If you want to understand the power that can be achieved when women come together to support one another, this is your book. If you want to be inspired by the ambition and tenacity of women, this is your book. If you want to experience the infectious enthusiasm of a woman delighting in her efforts to tell these remarkable stories, this is definitely your book." — Lisa Ling, executive producer and host of CNN's This Is Life with Lisa Ling
"Like Brooke herself, Huddle uplifts women, encouraging them to believe in their collective power. A fun and inspiring read!" — Diane Von Furstenberg, fashion designer, philanthropist, and bestselling author
"It’s a man’s world, but not for long if we tap into the power of Huddle. Women can be our own worst enemies or our greatest resource; Brooke has inspired me to keep fighting for women to shatter ceilings and set the menu at any table at which we find ourselves. What I love most about this book is that it reminds us that solidarity can indeed be contagious—and collaboration, especially among those who have been left out and left behind, can be transformative." — Alicia Garza, principal of the Black Futures Lab and cofounder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network
"I have spent much of my life in a huddle on the soccer field, planning a winning strategy with other badass women. I know firsthand that Brooke Baldwin is right: magic happens after the huddle. I just finished Huddle, and I’m on fire. Brooke is the coach we need in precisely this moment. She reminds us that if we take the power of the huddle off the field and into the world, we will be unstoppable!" — Abby Wambach, Olympian, activist, and #1 bestselling author of Wolfpack
"I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am today if not for my beautiful, powerful, badass huddle. And if you want to know why it’s the most important thing in life—that’s right, I said in life—do yourself and your huddle a favor and pick up this book." — Bozoma Saint John, CMO of Netflix, entrepreneur, and badass
Lisa Ling
"Brooke Baldwin has always been a fierce promoter of women. Her first book, Huddle, is an exemplification of what happens when women have one another’s backs. If you want to understand the power that can be achieved when women come together to support one another, this is your book. If you want to be inspired by the ambition and tenacity of women, this is your book. If you want to experience the infectious enthusiasm of a woman delighting in her efforts to tell these remarkable stories, this is definitely your book."
Diane Von Furstenberg
"Like Brooke herself, Huddle uplifts women, encouraging them to believe in their collective power. A fun and inspiring read!"
Bozoma Saint John
"I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am today if not for my beautiful, powerful, badass huddle. And if you want to know why it’s the most important thing in life—that’s right, I said in life—do yourself and your huddle a favor and pick up this book."
Abby Wambach
"I have spent much of my life in a huddle on the soccer field, planning a winning strategy with other badass women. I know firsthand that Brooke Baldwin is right: magic happens after the huddle. I just finished Huddle, and I’m on fire. Brooke is the coach we need in precisely this moment. She reminds us that if we take the power of the huddle off the field and into the world, we will be unstoppable!"
Alicia Garza
"It’s a man’s world, but not for long if we tap into the power of Huddle. Women can be our own worst enemies or our greatest resource; Brooke has inspired me to keep fighting for women to shatter ceilings and set the menu at any table at which we find ourselves. What I love most about this book is that it reminds us that solidarity can indeed be contagious—and collaboration, especially among those who have been left out and left behind, can be transformative."
Kirkus Reviews
2021-01-30
How women find support by banding together.
Inspired by the Women’s March of 2017—“the largest single-day protest on American soil”—CNN news anchor Baldwin traveled around the country interviewing women who have found “comfort, strategy, and stamina” from close camaraderie: what the author calls a huddle. “A huddle,” she writes, “is a place where women can become energized by the mere fact of their coexistence.” As a journalist in a male-dominated industry, Baldwin reveals her personal experiences in finding support from female mentors, sponsors, and her own huddle of friends. Women, she discovered, are each other’s “most valuable asset.” Conversations with women—some famous, such as Ava DuVernay, Stacey Abrams, and Gloria Steinem, and many others lesser-known—have convinced Baldwin that a “new, intersectional women’s movement” is thriving. In Houston, for example, she discovered the Black Girl Magic judge huddle, a group comprised of Black women supporting one another in their efforts to attain judgeships: In 2018, an unprecedented 19 were elected. Some of the huddles have had national impact: the #MeToo movement, for one, and Time’s Up, an initiative to raise money and public awareness for combatting sexual assault, harassment, and inequality in the entertainment and other industries. Other huddles emerge from various needs: Girls on the Run, a female-led nonprofit to support runners; Kode with Klossy, a coding camp for teenage girls; Hello Sunshine Filmmaker Lab for Girls, Reese Witherspoon’s project for empowering young aspiring filmmakers; GirlTrek, “America’s largest health movement for Black women”; and “the Badasses,” a text chain among newly elected Congresswomen. Besides huddles, Baldwin celebrates women who dedicate themselves to amplifying women’s stories and lifting up others. “When multiple women command respect,” Baldwin writes, “they provide a foundation for all women to demand respect.” Though the author uncovers little groundbreaking news, the stories are encouraging and often inspiring.
A celebration of female empowerment and empathy.
