From the Publisher
There’s plenty of funny on these pages. And not just a line here or there; we’re talking curse you for making my face wrinkle this way I am now reaching for the eye cream funny. The writers are unabashed fans, writing for those who share the love and making the case that political biographies shine bright when they have as much panache as their subject.” — Washington Post
“Reclaiming Her Time renders Congresswoman Waters’s extraordinary career in penetrating detail and razor-sharp wit. Andrews-Dyer and Thomas have created a beautiful celebration of Waters’s great vision, wisdom, and heart in this book." — Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Thoroughly researched, sharply written, full of amazing visuals and just as commanding as the Congresswoman herself, Reclaiming Her Time is an inspired portrait of the always fearless and inspiring Maxine Waters.” — Gabrielle Union, actor, activist, and New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine
"When Congresswoman Maxine Waters made her iconic proclamation “Reclaiming my time,” a generation of activists rose up in solidarity and thankfulness for our Auntie Maxine. Congresswoman, hero, voice of democracy, Maxine Waters is a beacon of hope and promise during these times." — Patrisse Khan Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, New York Times bestselling author and joint recipient of The Sydney Peace Prize.
"When Maxine Waters speaks, not only do people listen, but they learn, and they understand about her indomitable will to fight for the voiceless." — Bakari Sellers, author of My Vanishing Country
"[Andrews-Dyer and Thomas'] buoyant and zesty portrait of the woman known as 'Auntie Maxine' is perfect for the vivacious, unconventional, tireless, and essential Waters." — Booklist (starred review)
"In turn both entertaining yet serious, this informal biography will especially engage political buffs but also general readers of excellent biography." — Library Journal (starred review)
"Energetic... Readers who enjoyed Notorious RBG will cheer this vibrant account of another progressive hero." — Publishers Weekly
"A lively pop history of an impressive career." — Kirkus Reviews
Gabrielle Union
Thoroughly researched, sharply written, full of amazing visuals and just as commanding as the Congresswoman herself, Reclaiming Her Time is an inspired portrait of the always fearless and inspiring Maxine Waters.”
Booklist (starred review)
"[Andrews-Dyer and Thomas'] buoyant and zesty portrait of the woman known as 'Auntie Maxine' is perfect for the vivacious, unconventional, tireless, and essential Waters."
Patrisse Khan Cullors
"When Congresswoman Maxine Waters made her iconic proclamation “Reclaiming my time,” a generation of activists rose up in solidarity and thankfulness for our Auntie Maxine. Congresswoman, hero, voice of democracy, Maxine Waters is a beacon of hope and promise during these times."
Ibram X. Kendi
Reclaiming Her Time renders Congresswoman Waters’s extraordinary career in penetrating detail and razor-sharp wit. Andrews-Dyer and Thomas have created a beautiful celebration of Waters’s great vision, wisdom, and heart in this book."
Washington Post
There’s plenty of funny on these pages. And not just a line here or there; we’re talking curse you for making my face wrinkle this way I am now reaching for the eye cream funny. The writers are unabashed fans, writing for those who share the love and making the case that political biographies shine bright when they have as much panache as their subject.”
Bakari Sellers
"When Maxine Waters speaks, not only do people listen, but they learn, and they understand about her indomitable will to fight for the voiceless."
Washington Post
There’s plenty of funny on these pages. And not just a line here or there; we’re talking curse you for making my face wrinkle this way I am now reaching for the eye cream funny. The writers are unabashed fans, writing for those who share the love and making the case that political biographies shine bright when they have as much panache as their subject.”
Library Journal
★ 09/01/2020
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) boasts both political longevity and a relentless capacity to continue to adapt, challenge, and inspire. Thomas (Here for It), creator of the Auntie Maxine meme, collaborates with Washington Post reporter Andrews-Dyer to capture the energy—and urgency—of Waters with an addictive, fully illustrated read brimming with quotations. The authors set out to "disrupt the cultural practice of flattening Black women" by telling the story of Waters and her life in politics with care and nuance, offering a fully realized portrait that is complex, multifarious, and personal. The narrative tells of Waters's childhood in St. Louis, MO, the fifth of 13 children, and how school became her sanctuary. It then effortlessly transitions to her first marriage and subsequent move to California, where working at Head Start led to a renewed sense of purpose. Informative time lines help readers navigate pivotal moments in her life and career, as the conversational tone moves readers through the decades, pointing out Waters's highs and lows, including her efforts on the House Financial Services Committee. VERDICT In turn both entertaining yet serious, this informal biography will especially engage political buffs but also general readers of excellent biography.—Emily Bowles, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison
Kirkus Reviews
2020-08-18
An homage to a political powerhouse.
In a book conveyed in the same breezy tone as Brenda Jones and Krishan Trotman’s Queens of the Resistance: Maxine Waters, Washington Post reporter Andrews-Dyer and Thomas, a senior staff writer at elle.com, offer an admiring biography of the prominent legislator, illustrated by Dorsainvil and including many photographs. The authors draw on abundant media coverage of Waters’ life and career, her legislative record, interviews with friends and colleagues, and Thomas’ interview with Waters in 2017 to recount her rise from “humble beginnings as a Head Start teacher in the projects to meetings with Nelson Mandela and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.” The book’s title comes from Waters’ testy exchange with Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, in July 2017, where she repeatedly insisted that he answer her questions, interrupting his calculated digressions by invoking the parliamentary rule of “Reclaiming my time.” The much-publicized anecdote testifies to Waters’ outspoken, take-no-prisoners style and refusal to be intimidated, earning her the epithet “Kerosene Maxine.” One of 13 children, Waters struggled to claim her time at home and at school, working hard for recognition. Married at 18, a mother at 20, she and her husband moved to California, where she worked at the telephone company until a friend told her about an opening at Head Start. “Head Start changed my life,” Waters said in an interview. “Through Head Start I discovered me.” She learned how to organize parents and community volunteers, raise funds, and marshal grassroots power. Those skills served her well as she moved into more public positions, winning an election to the California State Assembly in 1976 and to the U.S. Congress in 1990. The authors report the many causes that Waters has championed, trace her rise to increasing visibility and power, and even include a gushing chapter on her fashion choices.
A lively pop history of an impressive career.
