TX Observer: “As we gazed down at the photo, I was struck by Richards’ magnetic hold on people. Perhaps her heaps of charisma, a quality generally lacking in Texas politicians today, is what captures the eye. Or perhaps it’s that she represents a more hopeful time when Democrats stood a fighting chance. Whatever the key to her allure, Ann Richards’ spirit lives on. And what better time to appreciate her legacy than now with the release of The One Ann Only: Wit and Wisdom from Texas Governor Ann Richards.
Compiled by The Ann Richards Legacy Project, The One Ann Only contains more than eighty photographs, some alongside her sharpest quotes. With a vibrant laminated cover, a white ribbon, and high-quality Forest Stewardship Council paper that makes the images pop, the book feels coffee table-worthy. It includes a foreword by Sarah Bird, a timeline of Richards’ life, and an afterword by Mary Beth Rogers. Overall, The One Ann Only is light on text—readers looking for a substantive biography or critical policy overview will have to look elsewhere. Instead, the book’s strength lies in its stellar photography.
When I spoke with Margaret Justus, founder of The Ann Richards Legacy Project, who served as Richards’ deputy press secretary, she said she envisioned a book that would reach fans as well as teachers, students, people in recovery, and anyone who might not be familiar with Texas’ 45th governor. Justus expressed concern that newer generations don’t know who Ann Richards is—a fate all too common for women in politics whose legacies get slowly, meticulously erased.”