Sammy's Hill by Kristin Gore

c Waterloo Public Library 2007

Looking for a fun read that also gives you an inside look into the Washington political scene? Sammy's Hill tells the story of a rather neurotic but sweet young girl who works for the junior senator from Ohio. Sammy is an expert on health care, even though she is only in her mid 20s; she helps Senator Robert Gary craft a bill to help lower the cost of prescription drugs for senior citizens.

In her spare time, she hangs out with her friend Liza, who has a series of dreadful boyfriends, and enjoys the Washington social scene. Sammy also takes care of her current pet fish: unfortunately, her fish tend to die prematurely, and while she isn't sure whether to blame herself or the pet store owner, she has a brief memorial for the dearly departed and then goes to get his replacement.

Sammy also has an unusual hobby: she likes to talk to telemarketers, has struck up a friendship with several, and likes to call company's 1-800 numbers. She calls the Cool Whip hotline to commend them on their wonderful product, for example.

As the story opens, Sammy has just found out that Senator Bramen is going to cosponsor a bill that she helped Senator Gary write. The two men are very different in their personalities, management styles, and ambitions: Bramen comes off as a typical politician who will do or say whatever he needs to propel himself ever upwards. It soon becomes clear that he is trying to take credit for the bill, in spite of the hard work that Senator Gary and his staff have put into it. About the same time, Sammy meets a young man named Aaron; he is handsome, funny, and very charming. They start going out and the story is sprinkled with their email and text messages. However, Aaron works for Senator Bramen as a speech writer....so there is conflict from the beginning of the relationship.

I enjoyed reading the parts of the story when Sammy went on the road to assist the Senator; they seemed very authentic in the descriptions of all of the behind the scenes preparation for even informal "meet and greet" events. I think anyone who attended a political rally over the past year and a half has observed the energetic, alert young staffers who position themselves close to the candidates, ready to take down a phone number, give out a business card, or answer a question. Reading this book gave me some insight into the challenges those staffers face. The fact that its author has a former Vice President for a father certainly adds to the sense that she understands the political scene.

With lots of humor, political intrigue, and interesting description and dialogue, Sammy's Hill is a fun place to explore. You can find it in the Adult Fiction area of the Waterloo Public Library.