Jacinda Ardern: The Story Behind an Extraordinary Leader

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Description

'Sincere, intent, focused and always readable. [This] book gets to a truth and an understanding.' Steve Braunias, Newsroom

Michelle Duff delves into Ardern's beginnings in small-town New Zealand, discovering a nose-ringed teen fighting for equality and her own identity in a devout Mormon family.

Duff tracks Ardern's political career, from being dismissed as a 'show pony' to her compassion during one of New Zealand's biggest tragedies, the Christchurch mosque terror attack of 2019. In its aftermath, Ardern has become a global icon for her strength and decisiveness while uniting a country in shock and mourning.

Ardern attracted international headlines for being the second world leader to give birth while in office. But why was having a baby so meaningful and what does it say about the continued struggle for gender equality

Has Ardern really been a transcendent leader, and what enduring mark might she leave on the political landscape

This is an engrossing and powerful exploration of one of the most intriguing political stories of our time - telling us as much about one young woman's ascendancy as it does about the country that elected her.

Reviews

Michelle Duff sweeps up all the misogyny that's accompanied Ardern's career so far and show how it undermines women in politics. It's engaging, enraging, illuminating and funny. -- Naomi Arnold (NZ journalist)
Sincere, intent, focused, and always readable. [This] book gets to a truth, and an understanding. * Newsroom *

Author Bio

Michelle Duff is a highly regarded New Zealand journalist whose work has appeared in print and online media in Aotearoa and internationally. Duff covers social issues with a primary focus on health, maternity and sexual violence. She has a background in psychology, with specialties in gender and sexuality, and writes a high-profile column for Stuff exploring these topics. She is a nine-time finalist at the Voyager Media Awards, most recently as part of Stuff's Me Too team, where she exposed the predatory behaviour of a trusted family doctor. She won general feature writer of the year in 2016, for a piece on the widening race gap in education. She has two small children. This is her first book.