Playing House [Paperback]

In 1982, fresh out of college, Barbara Feinman Todd began her career as a copy aide at theWashington Postand was instantly hooked on the smell (cigarettes, newsprint), the noise (yelling editors, the clacking of typewriter keys), and the energy of the newsroom. At thePost,she worked for Bob Woodward, first as his research assistant in the paper’s investigative unit and later as his personal researcher forVeil,his bestselling book on the CIA.

A recommendation from Woodward led Feinman Todd to help his Watergate partner Carl Bernstein, who was working on finishing his memoir,Loyalties. She then assisted legendary editor Ben Bradlee on his acclaimed autobiography,A Good Life,and worked with First Lady Hillary Clinton on her bestselling bookIt Takes a Village. Feinman Todd’s involvement with Mrs. Clinton made headlines when the First Lady neglected to acknowledge her role in the creation of the book, and later, when a disclosure to Woodward about the Clinton White House turned up in one of his books. These events haunted Feinman Todd for the next two decades until she confronted her past and discovered something startling.

In her illuminating memoir—a compelling insider’s account reminiscent ofThis Town—Feinman Todd recalls these stories and more, offering a fresh, up-close look at government and journalism at the highest levels. Revealing what it’s like to get into the heads and hearts of some of our most compelling and powerful figures, Feinman Todd offers authentic portraits that go beyond the carefully polished public personas she helped them create.  At its heart,Pretend I’m Not Hereis a funny and poignant story of a young woman in a male-dominated world trying to find her own voice while eloquently speaking for others.