"Journalist Biskupic weaves a political narrative centered on Sotomayor's fortuitous timing and personal striving. From housing projects in the Bronx to Princeton University and Yale Law School, Sotomayor's life tracked the ascent of Latinos in America. Along the way, she elicited admiration and, as a self-described "affirmative action baby," resentment. At every step in her climb to the federal bench, she almost did not make it. As Biskupic reveals with extensive research and reporting, Sotomayor developed the connections to navigate a system known for ravaging nominees, especially when race or ethnicity was an element. Biskupic shows how Sotomayor challenges an institution where justices, as a group, have been relatively bland and socially conforming even as they differ radically on the law"-- Provided by publisher.