The Farmer's Lawyer
by
Sarah Vogel
Order:
USA
Can
Bloomsbury, 2021 (2021)
Hardcover, e-Book
Reviewed by Carrol Wolverton
The Commissioner Writes ...
A
s the first woman ever to head the Department of Agriculture, Sarah Vogel once again sets herself apart as a pace setter in this story of her rise as a lawyer in North Dakota and on the national scene.
Y
es, she had help. Her father was a respected lawyer, and he was there for her with grimaces, nods, and needed advice. She admits to mistakes and learning hard, but has every right to be proud of her success in a difficult and sometimes dismal world. At times, she begged her father to take over; he would not.
F
arming is not for the faint of heart. Vogel speaks mostly of the farm crisis of the 1980s in which mid-sized farms bankrupted at alarming rates. She's also doing this in North Dakota, not known for its warm, mild, and sunny weather.
S
he preferred behind the scenes research-related lawyering, but fate threw her into the courtroom as a leader in a class action lawsuit against government and bank wrongdoing. In her telling, she brings to life real people fleeced by big government and corrupt policies. She bristles whenever the farm wife is omitted.
S
arah Vogel most assuredly made a difference and tells a powerful story. The book is definitely not dull. It is intelligently told and should serve to give strength to those fighting against poor policies, corrupt officials, and just plain bad government. This is the tale of a winner, for any woman born with guts and a powerful spirit. Her lawyering brain helped.
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