At a time when the word "politics" is highly charged, and the meaning of "Republican" is the subject of a fight between openly warring factions, Governor Christie Whitman's clear centrist vision - a direct legacy from her family - has attracted national attention and acclaim. Yet, although Christie Whitman is the most prominent woman in the Republican Party, few know the story of how she got there.

Growing Up Republican was written with the full cooperation of Governor Whitman and includes her own introduction. The governor provided Patricia Beard with exclusive uncensored access to family documents, letters, and photos, and offered Beard unusual exposure to her current public and private lives; the result is an intimate, unvarnished look at a woman who has lived her entire life in the political arena.

1. Growing Up Republican provides an illuminating look at the roots of Whitman's powerful potential political acumen. It is a revealing portrait of the way character intersects with policy and politics in the life of a woman whose deeply rooted philosophy about public service propels her vision of the future.