Sammy's House    by Kristin Gore Order:  USA  Can Hyperion, 2007 (2007) Hardcover      Reviewed by Hilary Daninhirsch The author of Sammy's House brings a lot to the table - she's Harvard-educated, she's worked as a television comedy writer, and she's the daughter of Al Gore. Regardless, she definitely has an insider's perspective of Washington politics. This charmingly funny novel is a sequel to the equally funny Sammy's Hill. Samantha, known as Sammy, started her career as an aide to Senator Robert Gary, for whom she worked on Capitol Hill in Sammy's Hill. After Gary is elected vice-president, Sammy has the opportunity to work in the White House. The book opens with Sammy jumping ship while cruising down the Potomac with several hundred co-workers: she misinterprets the sound of fireworks for gunshots and dives headfirst into the water. She is a hypochondriac who works with the vice-president on health care issues; she is obsessed with her Japanese fighting fish; and she is insecure about her relationship with Charlie, a reporter for the Washington Post. When an unexpected complication develops in her love life, Sammy has to keep her composure while juggling several White House scandals involving the president himself. Sammy is an extremely likeable character, and her resiliency will have you cheering for her throughout the book. Gore's writing is fabulously entertaining - she keeps the pace of the story flowing seamlessly - and it's the perfect beach book. I would advise, though, to read Sammy's Hill first to get a complete picture of Sammy's career, love life, and personality. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews