Young Man in a Hurry by Gavin Newsom
To be clear, regardless of your politics, this is not a memoir about the political career of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Instead this is the story of a little boy who grew up with divorced parents, and somehow wound up spending the majority of his young adulthood with billionaire philanthropists Gordon and Ann Getty. "Young Man in a Hurry" is a fascinating read. Newsom stems from a long line of family members dedicated to lives of service. His great-great grandfather was a cop, and walked a beat in San Francisco. His grandfather built neighborhoods in San Francisco, and his dad, William, became an appellate court judge and best friend to Gordon Getty. The dichotomy of Newsom's childhood is that after his parents divorced when he was just 5, his mother, Tessa, struggled financially, often paying the rent with three jobs. She raised Gavin and his sister Hilary on a shoe-string budget, often taking in roommates and foster children to pay the rent. But when Newsom was with his dad's friends the Gettys and their sons, he was being fitted for suites at Wilkes Bashford, eating fancy dinners, and flying to Europe. When he was younger his mother learned from school that he was dyslexic, but she didn't tell him because she thought it might hold him back. Struggling with a learning difference, however, made him work harder to do well in school. From his early days opening the Plump Jack wine shop in Pacific Heights with the Gettys, to his successful run as Mayor of San Francisco, and now Governor of California, his life has kept him in the spotlight. He remains a politician with a bright future, as well as a married family man with two daughters and two sons. A riveting read about one of San Francisco's most well known locals. To buy this book on Amazon click here.