Fresh out of college, Barbara Feinman Todd began her career as a copy aide at the Washington Post and was instantly hooked on the smell (cigarettes, newsprint), the noise (yelling editors, the clacking of typewriter keys), and the energy of the newsroom. At the Post, she worked for Bob Woodward, first as his research assistant in the paper's investigative unit and later as his personal researcher. A recommendation from Woodward led Feinman Todd to Carl Bernstein, then Ben Bradlee, and later to First Lady Hillary Clinton, with whom she worked on her bestselling book It Takes a Village. Feinman Todd's involvement with Mrs. Clinton made headlines when the First Lady neglected to acknowledge her role in the creation of the book, and later, when a disclosure to Woodward about the Clinton White House turned up in one of his books. These events haunted Feinman Todd until she confronted her past and discovered something startling.

In this page-turning story, Feinman Todd offers a fresh, up-close look at government and journalism at the highest levels. Revealing what it's like to get into the heads and hearts of some of our most compelling and powerful figures, Feinman Todd offers authentic portraits that go beyond the carefully polished public personas she helped them create. At its heart, Pretend I'm Not Here is a funny and poignant story of a young woman in a male-dominated world trying to find her own voice while eloquently speaking for others.