The Chancellor

Several years ago, I read a New Yorker profile of Angela Merkel that made me cry. This book did not make me cry. But it was still quite good. I loved learning about Merkel's upbringing, her values, and her character. I went into this loving Merkel with 10/10 hearts. I had moments when the book felt hagiographic and I was like ehhhh. Or when they stressed just how very Christian/Lutheran Merkel is, and how her favorite presidents are Reagan and Bush Senior, and I was like ehhhh. And one of my 10 hearts dimmed. But, who am I kidding. I love this lady.

Dumping some stuff just cuz it's interesting:
- The remarkable time when Merkel made a young immigrant girl cry. There's something so eminently German about this exchange: just brutal honesty. But also - the compassionate hug? And this apparently got Merkel's Lutheran heart rolling re: her remarkable decision to throw the gates open to refugees.
- The chapter on the AfD's rise agitated me greatly.
- Her awkwardness hehehe. The hand-vee!!
- Trevor Noah's bit on her leaving.

I learned a great deal in this book, and I appreciated that I felt like I had Angela next to me for days. One of my colleagues has suggested that the book dramatically minimizes her responsibility for Putin's recent aggression in Ukraine. I agree that the book is quite positive about her overall. (And it concludes with 2019.). I'll be looking at some of the reviews next. But I thoroughly enjoyed it, and understand this leader and her worldview much better now. I already knew that I liked her, but now that respect and affection is deeper still.

This might be my favorite political biography I've read. Merkel is fascinating and the way the author told her story was fantastic.