About this item
A memoir from Valerie Biden Owens, Joe Biden's younger sister, trusted confidante and lifelong campaign manager. Valerie, one of the first female campaign managers in United States history, writes of the role of family, faith, and fate in shaping her life, and the power of empathy and kindness in the face of turmoil and division. Growing Up Biden details Valerie's decades-long professional career in politics, and the central role she played in her brother's life as an insightful adviser, an ever-loyal advocate and best friend. This memoir, full of candor and warmth, brings readers into the Biden home and shares stories from growing up in Delaware as the only daughter of the close-knit Irish Catholic family. Valerie writes in a compelling, relatable way about the challenges she faced breaking through gender barriers, the elusive nature of confidence, and navigating professional responsibilities while raising children.
About the Author
Valerie Biden Owens is the first woman in U.S. history to have run a presidential campaign - that of her brother, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. She also led his seven straight U.S. Senate victories and has been a principal surrogate on the campaign trail. Valerie is Chair of the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware, a partner at Owens Patrick Leadership Seminars and a senior advisor to Diversified Search Group. Valerie sits on the Advisory Board of the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children. For 20 years, when Valerie was not managing or advising President Biden's campaigns, she served as Executive Vice President of Joe Slade White & Co. , a media consulting firm. She has worked extensively with Women's Campaign International, training women how to organize and develop communication and political skills. Valerie was a Resident Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She was honored as a "Woman Inspiring Change" by the Harvard Law School's International Women's Day. She served as the U.S. Senior Advisor to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71) . In 2021, Valerie was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 50 >50 women leading the way in impact through social entrepreneurship, law, advocacy and education. Valerie has served for the 35 years on the board of the Ministry of Caring in Delaware. Valerie is a graduate of the University of Delaware, which recently bestowed upon her an honorary doctorate. She is married to Jack Owens, an attorney and businessman. They have three children.
