Description
Book SynopsisInterwoven tales of conflict and challenge, from the mayor's office to the campaign trail.
Trade Review“A true pioneer in American politics, Helen Boosalis moved from being a housewife and volunteer to being elected the first female mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1975—then she became a nationally prominent advocate for troubled U.S. cities. Her inspiring story is told through the eyes of her daughter.”—
AARP The Magazine"An informed and loving tribute of a daughter to her mother."—Mike Steinman,
Lincoln Journal Star"While the book will be of greatest interest to people who have lived in Lincoln, who have known [Helen Boosalis] personally or by her reputation over the decades, it is so well-done that even those who have not known her should find her story compelling. Her daughter, Beth, who lives in Evanston, Illinois, and who was a member of the Evanston City Council, has written a loving and careful tribute to her—I guess you have to say—amazing mother."—Charles Stephen,
All About Books"For readers interested in Nebraska’s local politics and how it may have changed between then and now, the book offers a wealth of information to contemplate. . . . This book is well worth reading for its insights into the national and local political scene in the second half of the 20th century, for its insights into local political interactions, and for its descriptions of the interaction between political activity and family."—Chris Beutler,
Prairie Fire"Beth Boosalis Davis has drawn on personal memory, thirty-five interviews, and voluminous scrapbooks collected by her father, Mike Boosalis, to chronicle her mother's career. The result is an intimate look at one of Nebraska's best known and most effective politicians during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s."—James E. Potter,
Nebraska History“Doubtlessly, for Helen Boosalis, life and politics were inextricably interconnected; to tell the story of Boosalis, the mayor, is to tell the story of Boosalis, the person. Davis does her mother proud.”—Jan P. Vermeer,
Great Plains Quarterly Table of ContentsList of Illustrations 000
Note on Sources and Structure 000
Acknowledgments 000
Introduction 000
Flash Forward: Calling Me Home 000
1. Call to Action 000
Flash Forward: Down to Two 000
2. Madame Mayor 000
Flash Forward: May the Best Woman . . . 000
3. This Is Not Your Father's City Hall 000
Flash Forward: Money Talks 000
4. Roll Up Her Sleeves 000
Flash Backward: Roots--All Greek to Me 000
5. Expect the Unexpected 000
Flash Forward: Getting to Know You 000
6. Everything Old Is New Again 000
Flash Forward: One False Move and . . . 000
7. Mayors' Mayor 000
Flash Forward: Issues, Debates, Polls, and Other Irrelevancies 000
8. Another Time Around 000
Flash Forward: Trails End 000
9. Life (After) Is Politics 000
Afterword 000
Photo Acknowledgments 000
Appendix: Lincoln City Councils, 19751983 000
Notes 000
Interviews 000
Bibliography 000
Index 000
