Before reading this I knew nothing about Sara Jane Moore and very little about the political movements of the 60's and 70's. This book was very interesting, although during the middle section there were so many people being introduced that it got a little confusing. Overall though I found this book and the deep dive into Sara Jane Moore's life fascinating and informative. Throughout this book my heart ached for Sara's children, because they were born to a woman who was incapable of being a mother to them. I really hope that all of them found healing and are living great lives away from this obviously unstable woman.

I really enjoyed this book. This is a chapter of history that I really haven't learned about before. I found it insightful into our leading lady's mental state as well as the time period and the political landscape she inhabited. Some of the updates are honestly a little confusing to listen to and follow on audio but on the whole I found this an amazing historical work and one that resonates today.

A bit difficult to keep track of the large cast of characters, especially for someone unfamiliar with these events and organizations in a historical context. The end picked up quite a bit, but the middle was bogged down with a bit too much detail going this way and that; the book also felt a bit long overall, and could have benefited from being condensed slightly. Overall, seemed well-researched and painted an intriguing picture of Sarah Jane Moore's life.

This was interesting as I did not know anything about this story and it was fascinating to learn more. Well narrated.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

This is an interesting look into the life and mind of Sara Jane Moore, one of the two women who tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford during his time in office. She was definitely a "woman of mystery" to all of those around her - her many husbands, her children, the FBI. Author Geri Spieler paints a picture of a life of mental instability. But even with this, the FBI decided to use her as an informant. Plus, she was only six inches from successfully killing the President of the United States.

As with probably most Americans, I only knew the name Sarah Jane Moore, but didn't know anything about her. Thank you Geri Spieler for telling this fascinating story.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I knew of Sara Jane Moore from the musical Assassins mentioned in the book. However, I knew nothing of her life prior to or following the September 22, 1975 attempt on President Ford's life. Spieler has created an insightful account of Moore's life.

Moore seems to be a complex and interesting character creating herself over and over as her life went forward. It almost seems as if she had multiple personality disorder because of the way she was reinventing herself so many times throughout her life.

I found this book to be not only an excellent look into the life of a would-be assassin but also into the mental decline of "a housewife".

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

I learned a lot from this book! I had no idea this woman existed, so I went internet it with no prior information. I enjoyed learning about her backstory, as well as the extensive history lesson about the political climate during this era. The author is able to provide a unique perspective on this story, given her close contact with Sara Jane Moore over many years.

Like most Americans, I started this book knowing virtually nothing about Sara Jane Moore aside from her having been one of two women who attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford. I was skeptical going in; it seemed unlikely that there would be enough information to fill an entire book, and I expected there would be plenty of fluff to pad it out. Color me surprised then to discover that Housewife Assassin: The Woman Who Tried to Kill President Ford was not only well-paced and tightly written, but undeniably fascinating. There are so many true crime accounts of high-profile male killers that most of us can imagine the kind of personality a man in this situation would have, but there are far fewer examples--and far less analysis--of their female counterparts. Throughout the course of Housewife Assassin, Geri Spieler paints the picture of a woman desperate to find acceptance, purpose, and adoration. Sara Jane wore identities like Halloween costumes, and each time she threw her entire self into mastering the role. When being an honors student didn't work out, she tried the military. When that failed to inspire her, she returned to her home in West Virginia and settled down as a small-town housewife. When motherhood became too demanding, she abandoned her children without a word of notice and headed to California, where she posed as a singleton and landed herself an entertainment executive husband. When her efforts to live as a conservative suburban mother failed to get her anywhere, she pursued social justice causes instead, befriending many colorful activists and coming under the eye of the FBI. She juggled dual roles as an activist and FBI informant before finally going over the edge, firing her gun at Ford and landing herself in jail for several decades.

No matter how chaotic Sara Jane's life became, however, the same habits persisted. She was desperate for attention and yearned to be beloved and important, and sought to fulfill these need through lying, bullying, manipulating, and tossing aside the people closest to her whenever she found a new obsession. She was married more times than I can recall, frequently changing her name. In prison, she converted to Judaism, became a kosher chef, and concocted a fake backstory about her family taking in Jewish refugees. The assassination attempt was borne out of a theory she and her fellow activists had that if Ford was killed and then succeeded by his Vice President, Nelson Rockefeller, the American people would become so enraged by his right-wing tyranny that they would rise up, topple the government, and create a socialist utopia like China. This was as hairbrained as it sounds: Rockefeller was the former governor of New York and had been considered so moderate that Ford had to drop him as a running mate in 1976, and most Americans had little regard for either socialism or the Chinese government. But what could immortalize Sara Jane more than going down as a martyr for the cause?

Unlike the Charles Mansons and Jim Joneses of the world, Sara Jane never found the acceptance or idolization that she craved. She had a tendency to repel her peers no matter where the setting, and there is--almost--something tragic about that. Spieler doesn't try to diagnose Sara Jane with a personality disorder or declare her a sociopath. She doesn't pass much judgment on her subject at all, really, preferring to let the facts speak for themselves. As context, Spieler provides a harrowing look at a rapidly-changing America and the strife and danger that pervaded the 1970s. Sara Jane was a product of her time in some ways, but there is little doubt that she would pulling to same routine if she were a young person today, just with different organizations and ideologies. Housewife Assassin is an excellent character study, and it is a worthwhile read for anyone with an interest in true crime, history, or psychology.

The book was interesting. But it was very very repetitive. It kept me interested most of the time, but when the part that was repeated again and again came about I'd start to zone out. Overall an okay book. I also felt like the author put a bit too much of her own political view into the book.

I did not care for this book. Sarah Jane comes across as a narcissist who was only interested in gaining fame. I also felt there was a lot of filler that seemed to have very little to do with Sarah except maybe tangentially.

Housewife Assassin: The Woman Who Tried to Kill President Ford
Geri Spieler
There were two attempts on President Gerald Ford’s life while he was in office. On September 5, 1975, Lynette (Squeaky) Fromme, a member of Charles Manson’s family, stood about 3 feet from the President, pointed a pistol at him and pulled the trigger, she had not chambered a round, the gun did not fire. Seventeen days later Sara Jane Moore, a middle-aged mother of five stood 40 feet away from the President when she pulled the trigger of a .38 caliber revolver. The bullet missed the head of the President by six inches.
It is unfair to blame her family for the crimes committed by Moore. Her family is described as emotionally cold. While Sara shined in both academics and extra-curricular endeavors in school; she was surly and snobbish. She was not well liked and had no friends. She was married five times and abandoned her children. She associated with extremist groups however they came to distrust her. Her erratic behavior kept her in isolation much of her time in prison.
Author Geri Spieler offers readers insight into Sara Jane Moore. It is clear she was unstable.

One might expect a murder attempt from Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme a member of the Charles Manson gang but on first glance no one would expect it from Sarah Jane Moore. A mother of five children who she abandon and five marriages all ending in divorce it seems Sarah Jane Moore didn’t know who she wanted to be she try to make friends with the infamous for a little while work for the FBI and at the same time was Friends with revolutionaries. From the beginning of the audiobook I thought she sounded flaky and my opinion didn’t change much. I at first didn’t want to listen to this book because I thought I knew the story but OMG Sarah Jane Moore is a mess and her story and an attempted murder about President Gerald Ford but there is so much more to this flaky woman than you could even imagine. With the author she was temperamental demanded gifts and then one day just abruptly stopped talking to him. This book was so so interesting I wish I could buy the world a copy so everyone could listen. If you love to read about those on the wrong side of the law or just want to know the history you should read this book. I wish I could give a better summary because this book was so interesting and so good but this is my best attempt and I’m just going to say I highly recommend this audio book I loved the narrator and it is a total five-star listen. I received this book from netGalley end Highbridge audio but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.