America by Heart : Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag [Hardcover]

Sarah Palin (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 23, 2010

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin delivers an intimate and personal look at the woman behind the public servant. In her #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Going Rogue—the bestselling nonfiction book of 2009—Palin gave readers a look at her upbringing, her dynamic career, and her candidacy next to John McCain for the Vice Presidency of the United States.

In America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag, this inspirational follow-up, her reflections on faith, family, and patriotism will read like a bible of American virtues for anyone hoping to understand the truths that lie at the heart of the nation.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Product Description

This is my America, from my heart, and by my heart. I give it now to my children and grandchildren, and to yours, so they will always know what it was like in America when people were free.

Since the publication of her bestselling memoir, Going Rogue, in 2009, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has traveled the country extensively. She has visited cities and towns in almost every state, dropped in on military bases, given talks and speeches to small groups and at massive rallies. Throughout her travels, she has been privileged to meet thousands of Americans—ordinary men and women who have shared with her their hopes and dreams, their love of country, and their fears about what lies ahead. Governor Palin, inspired by these encounters, celebrates in her new book the enduring strengths and virtues that have made this country a beacon of liberty and hope for the rest of the world.

America by Heart is a highly personal testament to her deep love of country, her strong roots in faith, and her profound appreciation of family. Ranging widely over American history, culture, and current affairs, Governor Palin reflects on the key values that have been such an essential part of her own life and that continue to inform her vision of America’s future. The book also includes brief readings from classic and contemporary texts that have moved and inspired her, as well as portraits of Americans, both famous and obscure, whom she admires.

Informed by Palin’s own principles and deepest feelings, graced with intimate memories, this remarkable book gives us a close-up view of an extraordinary woman who is not afraid to speak out and defend the American values in which she so deeply believes.

A Look Inside America by Heart
Click on the images below to open larger versions.

I play with 19-month-old Trig while Bristol supports her one-year-old son, Tripp, on his toy elephant during Tripp’s birthday party in our Wasilla home. (Photo © Shealah Craighead)	After an interview near the Statue of Liberty Glenn Beck and I pose for Fox News on January 13, 2010. Glenn and I share an appreciation for Lady Liberty. America’s most famous symbol for freedom-loving immigrants serves as an inspiration to all: America, continue to be exceptional, hard-working, faithful, and free.      (Photo © Shealah Craighead)	The Restoring Honor rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall on August 28, 2010, in Washington, D.C., drew an estimated 500,000 people. Glenn Beck headlined the peaceful patriot celebration on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The words King spoke 47 years earlier changed the course of civil rights in America for the better. His niece Dr. Alveda King graced us with her presence at our rally that warm Washington day. (Photo © Shealah Craighead)

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From Booklist

If Palin’s first book, Going Rogue (2009), was about settling scores, this one is designed, as the subtitle implies, to show a thoughtful Sarah, albeit one strident in her beliefs. Pulling quotes from a dizzying array of Americans (Lincoln, Helen Keller, John Adams, Harriet Tubman, and even silent Calvin Coolidge), Palin wants readers to know that the U.S. is still the greatest country on earth—or would be if we could just rid ourselves of politicians like Barack Obama who don’t believe in American exceptionalism. (To make her point, she quotes Dash in the movie The Incredibles: if everyone is special, no one is.) Obama comes in for his fair share of shots, which makes this seem like the opening salvo in the 2012 campaign, but in its entirety, it’s more about Palin’s observations on the culture wars, often with a political subtext. Throughout, she seems lacking in a useful kind of ammo: irony. She derides American Idol for promoting talentless kids (while her daughter, Bristol, hoofs past her shelf life on Dancing with the so-called Stars). She extols the way Mr. Smith Goes to Washington depicts a senatorial filibuster, yet her own party, during the Obama administration, has debased the filibuster to a point where the Senate now shuns debate and avoids legislating. She celebrates the fight for Alaskan statehood, though her husband was a member of a secessionist party. But if irony isn’t Palin’s strong suit, sticking to her guns is: virtually every anecdote or reflection connects somehow to the themes of love of family and/or country (or, to be more precise, Palin’s view of those virtues). This book won’t make any new fans for the former governor, but it probably won’t add to “the haters” (Bristol’s term for those who deride her dancing), either. Proponents will see her as the strong, savvy Mama Grizzly, and detractors will find her to be simplistic and, in the words she used to describe those American Idol no-talents, “self-esteem enhanced.” --Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition (November 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062010964
• ISBN-13: 978-0062010964
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (260 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #80 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Ideologies & Doctrines > Nationalism

More About the Author

Sarah Palin grew up in Alaska towns, from Skagway to Wasilla to Anchorage, while her dad taught science and coached high school sports. She and her future husband, Todd Palin, graduated from Wasilla High School in 1982, and she went on to earn her college degree from the School of Journalism at the University of Idaho. Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council, then two terms as the city's mayor and manager, and was elected by her peers as president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. She then chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. Palin was elected Alaska's youngest, and first female, governor, serving from 2006 to 2009. While serving her state she was tapped as Senator John McCain's running mate in 2008, becoming the first female Republican vice presidential candidate in our nation's history.

The Palins reside in Wasilla with their five children, including a son in the U.S. Army, and one grandson. They enjoy an extended family throughout Alaska and the Lower 48.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Common sense abounds! May 17, 2013

By jayne reader

Format:Kindle Edition

I rated this book with five stars because it is uplifting, inspiring and encouraging. Governor Palin uses historical facts to support her points. It is filled with common sense truths. I recommend America by Heart to anyone interested in women's rights, America's wonderful history and the value of the family.

4.0 out of 5 stars bought as a gift April 26, 2011

By Frotzie

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I cannot really rate this book because I bought it for someone as a gift, but I do believe they enjoyed it very much.

166 of 254 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars More Red Meat For Her Base, But Little Else New or Revealing January 17, 2011

By Frederick S. Goethel VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a moderate, I have been following Palin to see if she might be a viable candidate (from my standpoint) in the elections in 2012. I have read a few books by her and her autobiography, so I have a bit to compare to. I find it a sad commentary that the books written about her paint her in a better light than she paints for herself in the books she has written about herself.

I found this book to contain little new. It was Obama bad...Reagan great with no real analysis of what either had done. If Obama did it, or proposed it, it must be wrong with little to support her comments. The same occurred, in reverse, for Reagan. She seemed to ignore his more obvious flaws and tried to paint everything he did as great.

Throughout the book there are misstatements of fact when it suits her purpose. Some is current, while some was historical. I can't believe she didn't know that what she was writing was wrong, and if she didn't, then maybe she needs to do a little research into a subject before spouting off.

I know there are people that think she is stupid, which I believe is a dangerous mistake. On the contrary, I believe she is quite intelligent but she doesn't use her intelligence when making statements. One possibility is that she intentionally does not want to let on that she is intellectually on a par with those she labels as "elite" in order to deliberately deceive her base. Either that, or she is just intellectually lazy.

This is a book for the base (and to make some money) and should be seen as such. She doesn't reveal much new and the rhetoric is about the same as always. If you love Palin, you will love the book. If you are not a fan, you won't like this book.