A Young Adult Edition of Gretchen Whitmer’s MemoirTrue Gretch Is on Its Way: ‘I Hope This Guide Helps Them’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Gretchen Whitmer and the cover of ‘True Gretch—Young Adult Edition’.Photo:Michael Kovac/Getty; Katherine Schwarzenegger/Instagram

Michael Kovac/Getty; Katherine Schwarzenegger/Instagram

Gretchen Whitmer’s bestselling memoir,True Gretch, is making its way to a new audience.The Michigan governor has shared, exclusively with PEOPLE, that ayoung adult editionof her bestselling memoir,True Gretch,is set to be published early next year through Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.Whitmer’s memoir,True Gretch, came out in July 2024 and detailed the trajectory of Whitmer’s career, including her tenure as a legislator and lawyer prior to taking office as Michigan’s governor in 2018. Whitmer also discussed the insight that helped guide her along the way, including during the pandemic and through the2020 kidnapping and assassination plotagainst her.

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

InTrue Gretch—Young Adult Edition, Whitmer zeroes in on the advice she’s received, and shares stories about her childhood in the midwest and the importance of advocacy for a young audience. The memoir is “packed with remarkable insights for young people wishing to make a difference in the world,” per its publisher.

True Gretch—Young Adult Editionalso includes new content, like a Q&A with Whitmer’s teenage daughters and additional resources relating to gun violence and sexual assault.

“My goal withTrue Gretch—Young Adult Editionis to help readers find the good and use it to make a difference in their own lives,” Whitmer tells PEOPLE in an exclusive quote. “There’s no group for whom this is more true than our young people. Their new ideas, fresh perspectives and desire to make their communities even better is just what we need right now. I hope this guide helps them as they navigate all the challenges they face, both big and small, and ‘get stuff done.’”

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Gretchen Whitmer.Alyssa Essman

Alyssa Essman

Whitmerspoke with PEOPLE in 2020about her experiences as governor during the height of the pandemic. She explained that, due to her role, she had the opportunity to make crucial decisions on behalf of her state.

“When you become governor of any state, but a state like Michigan, you’re governor 24/7,” Whitmer said, at the time. “We have long, busy days in the best of times. And in these challenging times, it certainly means there are additional pressures.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!“At the end of the day, I’m always going to keep staying focused on doing my job,” the governor added. “It’s been a lot bigger and more complicated than anyone could have imagined and yet that’s where every ounce of energy has gone.”True Gretch—Young Adult Editionwill be published on Jan. 28, 2025 and is now available forpreorder, wherever books are sold.

source: people.com