Book Review - From the Corner of the Oval

From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-stein is a memoir that takes you behind the scenes  inside the Obama White House. Now, don’t tune out here. This has some political overtones, but it’s not going to beat you over the head. The key to this is the inside look at just working in a presidency – being in the White House, riding in Air Force One, blending into the background to record history. Beck Dorey-Stein answers a Craigslist ad and ends up in 2012 working as a stenographer in the Oval Office.

Cover blurb – The ultimate D.C. outsider, she joins the elite team who accompany the president wherever he goes, recorder and mic in hand. On whirlwind trips across time zones, Beck forges friendships with a dynamic group of fellow travelers – young men and women who, like her, leave their real lives behind to hop aboard Air Force One in service of the president.

This book is rather fascinating. It’s quite a life to work 24/7 for our president, whomever is in office.  There’s glamour, drama, intrigue, and a lot of protocol. There are hook-ups, plenty of alcohol, and then amazing moments – chances to see places that the normal , average American will never experience. The author writes with the right amount of awe – she did appreciate her opportunity to witness history and be a part of our government in action.  She was also young and I got a tad tired of her obsession with Jason – a total cad and jerk who knew how to play all of the ladies. I skimmed a bit when he was in the picture.  But overall – the book has merit. She got very good at blending in with plants and/or finding a corner to record the transcript moment (tough to do in an Oval Office).   Good book with a different perspective.