From Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood for more than a decade, daughter of the late Ann Richards, featured speaker at the Womenâs March on Washington, and âthe heroine of the resistanceâ (Vogue), comes âan enthralling memoirâ (Booklist, starred review) filled with âpractical advice and inspiration for aspiring leaders everywhereâ (Hillary Rodham Clinton).
Cecile Richards has been an activist since she was taken to the principalâs office in seventh grade for wearing an armband in protest of the Vietnam War. Richards had an extraordinary childhood in ultra-conservative Texas, where her civil rights attorney father and activist mother taught their kids to be troublemakers. She had a front-row seat to observe the rise of women in American politics and watched her mother, Ann, transform from a housewife to an electrifying force in the Democratic party.
As a young woman, Richards worked as a labor organizer alongside women earning minimum wage, and learned that those in power donât give it up without a fight. She experienced first-hand the misogyny, sexism, fake news, and the ever-looming threat of violence that constantly confront women who challenge authority.
Now, after years of advocacy, resistance, and progressive leadership, she shares her âtruly inspiringâ (Redbook) story for the first timeâfrom the joy and heartbreak of activism to the challenges of raising kids, having a life, and making change, all the while garnering a reputation as âthe most badass feminist EVERâ (Teen Vogue).
In the âpowerful and infinitely readableâ (Gloria Steinem) Make Trouble, Richards reflects on the people and lessons that have gotten her through good times and bad, and encourages the rest of us to take risks, make mistakes, and make trouble along the way.