As Madam Speaker, Nancy Pelosi has broken new ground for women in American politics and has become a notable role model for young women. Yet hers has hardly been a Cinderella career. Pelosi was virtually born into politics, and her series of firsts—first female minority whip in the U.S. House; first female minority leader; and, finally, first female Speaker—was preceded by three decades of service as a political organizer, candidate, and U.S. representative. All along she balanced her political career with her role as a wife and the mother of five children. In this book a distinguished Washington journalist traces Pelosi's classic rise through the political ranks, culminating in her historic elevation to the Speaker's chair—and explains how Pelosi's career and legislative priorities have been shaped by her gender.