Forget Sturgeon the politician, meet Nicola the human and, potentially, Nicola the writer.
Gripping. That’s not a word I’d usually associate with an autobiography yet we are, an autobiography that is every bit as gripping as countless thrillers I’ve read before. This isn’t just any person or politician’s autobiography. No, it’s the life story of Nicola Sturgeon.
Nicola Sturgeon was the First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party from 2014 to 2023. She previously served as Deputy First Minister and depute leader of the party from 2007 under her predecessor Alex Salmond.
Sturgeon keeps to the promise of the title. Frankly is very frank and honest, and indeed revealing in ways I never expected. But why do I believe it to be the truth? She talks about herself in deeply personal, scrutinising and even tragic ways, often reflecting her own shortcomings and questioning her actions and judgements. This is something I’ve never known a political figure to do.
Frankly is extremely fascinating for anyone with even the remotest interest in politics or Scotland. The story gives, in detail, a history of modern Scottish politics and an inside view of SNP election campaigns, governance and the Scottish independence referendum from the woman who was literally at the heart of it all. It is a real page turner as you find yourself desperate to know more about what happened behind the closed doors of power and the thought processes of those who made the key decisions.
But if that wasn’t enough, Sturgeon goes one better by sharing brutally honest opinions about politicians she dealt with over the years and her thoughts and feelings regarding scandals that took place.
Emotions run high in this book, starting from her childhood in Ayrshire and continuing all the way to her name being cleared from the investigation into her party’s finances – Operation Branchform. It is impossible not to share sadness at the more tragic events of her life, laughs of solidarity at the funny yet frustrating moments and anger at the unfair and unjust moments.
Through deeply personal accounts in both the political, everyday and intimate stories; we are introduced to somebody very different. In Frankly, the image of Nicola Sturgeon: the politician dies and Nicola Sturgeon: the human takes her place. For this story is told with no self-congratulation, no stroking of the ego but with a humanity that strives to recognise mistakes and reason with the many years it covers. Frankly makes it even more personal when it introduces Nicola Sturgeon; the woman who is a lot like me and a lot like all of us, the woman who, whether we agree with or not politically, we can connect with personally.
However, at the end of a unique and distinctive tale comes one last surprise, a final gift for those of us in the written world or the sphere of stories. For Sturgeon is an avid reader, a lover of literature and a fiction fanatic and she intends to give back to that world. “I want to write more, maybe even fiction.” Her words inspire hope and excitement as with someone as keen and dedicated as her, with a formidable mind to back it up, the hopes are high for whatever she produces. This autobiography will hopefully serve as a foreshadowing of great things to come.
Fascinating stories, honest telling and no beating around the bush. A relatable personality, a seismic career and legacy, contributing to the very fabric of Scotland’s national history and a determination and will to overcome the darkest times and adversity: “learning to dance in the rain”. Frankly not only tells us of political history from the inside but teaches us not to judge a book by its cover, that politicians are still human and that deep down, the weight of the world affects even the people at the top. It makes us see a whole new side to Nicola Sturgeon; a side that, frankly, I wish we’d all seen from the start.
Words by James Jobson
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