Nancy Pelosi didn't run for political office until she was 47 years old. Today, as the first female Speaker of the House, Pelosi is one of the most influential voices in the nation's capital and, having successfully juggled family life and a high-pressured career, a role model for young women. Her first biography, by a journalist and political analyst who has covered her for years, is an inside look at this intriguing political figure and her surprising climb to power. The book comes at a time when the spotlight is on American political women as never before. Its pages are filled with surprising facts and untold anecdotes about Pelosi's upbringing, family life, and political pedigree. The result is an insightful, nuanced portrait of a frequently misunderstood national figure, based on hundreds of interviews with the Speaker herself, as well as family, friends, and colleagues.--From publisher description.