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Back before theOprah interview and the resignation as governor of Alaska, before Tina Fey's impersonation and the announcement of Bristol's pregnancy, way back to the day John McCain named his running mate, Lisa Copeland was a Sarah Palin fan. ''When she gave her convention speech, I sat in my living room and wept,'' says Copeland, a lifelong Republican and Texas native, who is a founder of a nonprofit group, the Project 19 Foundation, to move more women into political and professional leadership roles. ''She was my age, she looks like me. I really thought she would save the party.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nearly five years ago, my husband was offered a prestigious, challenging plum of a job in another country. At the time, my father was dying, and my older son, suffering from debilitating migraines, was struggling in school. Sometimes parents decide that what is tempting, even perfect, for them is just not right for their family. My husband turned down the job. I didn't talk much about the decision at the time. I felt guilty that my husband had to give up something he would have loved in part because I couldn't handle it, and I carried a vague shame that other families could have toughed this out but that ours was too fragile. It's hard to talk about what you are not proud of. None of this fit with my view of who I thought I should be -- an unflappable, charge-ahead type, able to roll with whatever life delivered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]