Alumni Charlie Spiering ‘05 and Rachel (Hoover) Canto ‘16 have both released acclaimed new books, tackling the complex worlds of politics and dating respectively. Spiering, a former White House correspondent, penned Amateur Hour: Kamala Harris in the White House, offering readers a comprehensive, heavily researched look into the life and career of current Vice President Kamala Harris, while Canto penned Pretty Good Catholic: How to Find, Date, and Marry Someone Who Shares Your Faith, a realistic guide to the current Catholic dating scene.
For Spiering, his new book is the latest achievement in his nearly 20 years in journalism. Drawing on his years of work covering politics in Washington, D.C., where he was a political writer for the Washington Examiner before moving to Breitbart News as a White House correspondent covering the Obama, Trump, and Biden Administrations, Spiering digs deep into Harris’ background, providing the most in-depth look into her rise to the White House.
The book, released by Simon and Schuster, has received much acclaim since its release in January, including from popular conservative voices Tucker Carlson and Mollie Hemingway. For Hemingway, the book is eye-opening, and she describes Spiering’s work as “fearless.”
Spiering’s book offers readers a comprehensive, heavily researched look into the life and career of current Vice President Kamala Harris. (Credit: Simon & Schuster)
“Charlie Spiering fearlessly reveals the real Kamala Harris in a carefully researched book that is both shocking and hilarious,” says Hemingway, the editor-in-chief of The Federalist.
When asked how he achieved his success in journalism, Spiering points to his Christendom education.
“My education taught me how to read, write, and think critically, skills that are essential for a journalist,” says Spiering. “Above all, I’m thankful that my education is rooted in history and truth, not shifting political trends. The digital world provides us with more information every day, but I am thankful every day for the skills to sort through it and put it into a meaningful context.”
Canto’s book provides a realistic guide to the current Catholic dating scene. (Credit: Vianney Vocations)
Canto’s book, Pretty Good Catholic, has in turn received acclaim since its release. Canto, who was a student writer at Christendom before working as a tech writer and freelance journalist in the years following graduation, tells her own story in the book, including how she went from frustration, to engagement, to marriage. Offering fresh, sharp-witted insights for both men and women, Canto provides a modern, relatable, orthodox guide to dating for Catholics — one that actually works, based on Canto’s own story.
“It’s high time someone was truly forthcoming about the difficulty of Catholic dating,” says Jennifer Baugh, founder of the group Young Catholic Professionals. “Rachel is open enough to tell her own story, and brave enough to offer counter-cultural advice that can actually help. Every one of us knows someone who will benefit from this timely and insightful book.”
Spiering and Canto are two of the many Christendom alumni to go into writing following earning a degree from the college, utilizing the skills learned in the classroom to communicate the truths of the Faith to readers across the globe. Their works join a growing list of books from Christendom alumni in recent months, including Andrew Youngblood’s ‘93 Know Thyself, Mary-Rose Verret’s ’04 Witness to Love, John Clark’s ‘92 Betrayed without a Kiss, and others.
To purchase Spiering’s book, visit here.
To purchase Canto’s book, visit here.
Lead image credit to Vianney Vocations and to Craig Spiering.