A congresswoman representing San Francisco since 1987, Nancy Pelosi became one of the most powerful leaders in the Democratic Party. In 2006, she became the first woman and the first Californian to serve as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, a post she held until 2011. This compelling volume offers a balanced chronicle of Pelosi's life in politics. Chapters discuss her early activism, her efforts to crash the marble ceiling, and her time as Madame Speaker.