Going There

"Going There" by Katie Couric is a candid and intimate memoir. Couric talks about her struggles, achievements, and stellar career as a news anchorwoman. She was among the few women in the industry and showed us what it took to get there. Listening to the audiobook where she told her life story was fascinating.

As a newswoman, she covered many significant historical events, and remembering how history played out was so interesting. She also shares about her first husband's battle with cancer, raising her two daughters while navigating a high-powered career and shattering the glass ceiling. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it. It would make an excellent book club choice and create an interesting discussion.

This heartbreaking, hilarious, and brutally honest memoir shares the deeply personal life story of a girl next door and her transformation into a household name.

For more than forty years, Katie Couric has been an iconic presence in the media world. In her brutally honest, hilarious, heartbreaking memoir, she reveals what was going on behind the scenes of her sometimes tumultuous personal and professional life, a story she's never shared, until now.

Of the medium she loves, the one that made her a household name, she says, "Television can put you in a box; the flat-screen can flatten. On TV, you are larger than life but smaller, too. It is not the whole story, and it is not the whole me. This book is."

Beginning in early childhood, Couric was inspired by her journalist father to pursue the career he loved but couldn't afford to stay in. Balancing her vivacious, outgoing personality with her desire to be taken seriously, she overcame every obstacle in her way: insecurity, an eating disorder, being typecast, sexism . . . challenges, and how she dealt with them, setting the tone for the rest of her career.

Couric talks candidly about adjusting to sudden fame after her astonishing rise to co-anchor of the TODAY show, and guides us through the most momentous events and news stories of the era, to which she had a front-row seat: Rodney King, Anita Hill, Columbine, the death of Princess Diana, 9/11, the Iraq War . . . In every instance, she relentlessly pursued the facts, ruffling more than a few feathers along the way.

She also recalls in vivid and sometimes lurid detail the intense pressure on female anchors to snag the latest "get" often sensational tabloid stories like Jon Benet Ramsey, Tonya Harding, and OJ Simpson.

Couric's position as one of the leading lights of her profession was shadowed by the shock and trauma of losing her husband to stage 4 colon cancer when he was just 42, leaving her a widow and single mom to two daughters, 6 and 2. The death of her sister Emily, just three years later, brought yet more trauma and an unwavering commitment to cancer awareness and research, one of her proudest accomplishments.

Couric is unsparing in the details of her historic move to the anchor chair at the CBS Evening News, a world rife with sexism and misogyny. Her "welcome" was even more hostile at 60 Minutes, an unrepentant boys club that engaged in outright hazing of even the most established women. In the wake of the MeToo movement, Couric shares her clear-eyed reckoning with gender inequality and predatory behavior in the workplace, and downfall of Matt Lauer a colleague she had trusted and respected for more than a decade.

Couric also talks about the challenge of finding love again, with all the hilarity, false starts, and drama that search entailed, before finding her midlife Mr. Right. Something she has never discussed publicly, why her second marriage almost didn't happen.

If you thought you knew Katie Couric, think again. Going There is the fast-paced, emotional, riveting story of a thoroughly modern woman, whose journey took her from humble origins to superstardom. In these chapters, you will find a friend, a confidante, a role model, a survivor whose lessons about life will enrich your own.

1. Katie Couric describes her journey from a "girl next door" to a household name. How does her transformation shape her perspective on fame, media, and personal identity throughout the memoir?

2. The book covers many significant historical events that Katie Couric reported on. How do these events shape her understanding of journalism's role in society, and how do they impact her personal and professional growth?

3. Gender inequality and challenges faced by women in the media industry are recurring themes in the book. Discuss specific instances where Couric addresses sexism and misogyny. How do these experiences reflect broader societal issues?

4. The memoir highlights Couric's commitment to cancer awareness and research. How does her personal experience with loss and trauma drive her dedication to this cause, and how does it shape her advocacy work?

5. Couric opens up about her struggles with insecurity, an eating disorder, and the pressures to conform in the media industry. How does her vulnerability in sharing these experiences contribute to a more authentic portrayal of her life?

6. The theme of resilience is central to Couric's story. Identify moments in the book where she demonstrates resilience in the face of adversity. How do these moments inspire you or resonate with your own experiences?

7. Couric discusses her marriages and relationships, including the challenges she faced. How does her openness about love, loss, and second chances contribute to the overall narrative of the memoir?

8. The concept of "going there" suggests a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths. How does Couric embody this idea in her journalism and her personal life? What are some examples that stand out to you?

9. The MeToo movement and its impact on the media industry play a significant role in the latter part of the book. How does Couric reflect on her own experiences and relationships in the wake of this movement?

10. Katie Couric's memoir is a blend of heartbreaking, hilarious, and brutally honest moments. Discuss how these different tones contribute to the overall storytelling and your emotional engagement with the book.