“The nicest thing you did was to take me seriously when a lot of people wouldn’t have, but not too seriously, which was just right.”–Katherine Graham, Personal History: A Memoir
Katherine (Kay) Graham was a remarkable woman and in this autobiography she tells her story with candor and courage. She grew up in a family with great wealth but was emotionally isolated. She married a brilliant man who included presidents among his friends but who later suffered from mental illness, became abusive, and died by suicide. She was incredibly capable but also suffered from insecurity. She infiltrated the male dominated newspaper business when she took over the Washington Post (run by her father and later her husband) and was willing to challenge a president when her reporters, Woodward and Bernstein, exposed the Watergate scandal.
In addition to all her other accolades and achievements, Graham won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for her autobiography. This is a story of courage, resilience, and discovering one’s self.
Content Advisory: Sexism, mental illness, spousal abuse, suicide