As promised, my friend, Linda Anselmi, has written a review of Anita Finlay’s brilliant new book, “Dirty Words On Clean Skin: Sexism and Sabotage, a Hillary Supporter’s Rude Awakening.” Linda and I were both fortunate enough to read earlier drafts of this critical period in our lives. The finished work is fantastic. Anyway, below is Ms. Anselmi’s review. Enjoy!

The media dubbed 2008 the year of the woman because of Hillary Clinton’s and Sarah Palin’s historic runs for political office, but it really was the year millions of ordinary women from both parties were “rudely awakened” from their political complacency and found their voice. The backlash we received in response showed us the ugly underbelly of politics and our society at large in a way only some of us could suspect, but never fully imagine in the enlightened age of the twenty-first century. And, in many ways, we are just now getting over the shocking depth and breath of that ugliness.

So here we are four years later with a new presidential election swinging into full gear and it is just now dawning on the powers that be that not only will women be the deciders, but women are still angry over what happened in 2008. Why? Because it was never addressed, never acknowledged and absolutely none of the behaviors have changed. But 2012 will be a vastly different election. Women know the game now and we are nothing, if not fast learners. And, thanks to author Anita Finlay, who lifts the rug off all the dirt thrown against women during our last presidential election and puts names to the dirt throwers in Dirty Words on Clean Skin: Sexism and Sabotage, A Hillary Supporter’s Rude Awakening, we have a written history with which to beat back the naysayers.
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