Starting with an author's note and jumping directly into the 2016 presidential election, Martha Brockenbrough's (Love, Santa) young adult biography of Donald Trump drops readers into a landscape they are familiar with--the present--before providing a quick overview of Trump's family history. In the first three chapters, Brockenbrough covers grandfather Friedrich's move from a small German town to the United States; the accumulation of family money beginning with Friedrich Trump and continuing with his son, Fred; and Donald's "lucky" childhood.
As the narrative nears the present day, it slows down, going into exhaustive detail. The 1970s are when Donald became the Trump readers know today: his "first attempt to succeed in Manhattan" flopped and "he became president of the Trump Organization after his dad took on the new title of chairman of the board." Donald saw "the press as a potential ally" and used the it to build his name. He met and began working with the lawyer Roy Cohn and he was sued by the United States for violating the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Casino purchases, extramarital affairs, bankruptcy after bankruptcy follow until Brockenbrough reaches 2014 and the run-up to the presidential election. Then, she dives even deeper, with chapters titled "Crossfire Hurricane" (about the FBI investigation into Trump), "The Man Who Would Be King" (about the very beginning of his presidency) and "The Fish Stinks from the Head Down."
Unpresidented is extremely well-researched--in addition to newspapers, magazines and books, Brockenbrough also looked at "sourced legal documents, records of arrests, police and FBI investigations, and Congressional testimony." This detailed biography is a fantastic place to start for readers looking to get a more thorough understanding of Trump, his policies and the current political landscape. --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness