
Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Scroll To Top
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
It's tempting to scoff at the idea of presidential party girl Jenna Bush writing a book, but her first effort is surprisingly well-done. Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope is a biography of a 17-year-old single mother in Latin America infected with HIV. Bush met Ana, whose real name and hometown are concealed, while working as an intern for the United Nations Children's Fund. Ana has a story worth telling. Her life has been a struggle with poverty, abuse, and prejudice. Her mother and aunt were raped by their stepfather, who infected them with HIV. Ana's mother, father, and infant sister died of AIDS before she finished sixth grade. Only her other younger sister, Isabel, escaped the disease. Ana learns to keep her illness quiet at a young age. 'Life's not fair,' her grandmother warns her. 'If you tell, you'll be treated badly. People will call you bad, ugly names. They will be afraid of you.' And Ana believes her grandmother after watching her friends taunt a skinny classmate. Her home life, though, is perhaps more painful than the disease. Both Ana and her sister are raped by their grandmother's boyfriend. After their father dies, their grandmother beats Ana until the girls are removed from her home and shuttled among relatives and orphanages. Bush became known during her father's first term in the White House for underage drinking while a student at the University of Texas at Austin. She graduated with a degree in English and taught elementary school in Washington, D.C., for a year and a half before signing on with UNICEF. She recently made news again by announcing her engagement to Henry Hager, who gets a thank-you in the book's acknowledgments. Perhaps because of the scrutiny Bush herself has faced, she recounts Ana's choices without judgment. Bush describes a loving relationship between Ana and the HIV-positive teen who fathers her daughter. She portrays Ana's decision to end that relationship as part of her evolution into an adult who must consider her daughter's welfare. Her boyfriend, Ana reflects, seemed more interested in her than their daughter, more interested in being a boyfriend than a father. The most unsatisfying aspect of Bush's work is that it ends with many loose threads: Ana has not finished school or found work, her sister is still in an orphanage, she must tell her new boyfriend about her HIV infection. Bush addresses some of these points in an afterword, but as she notes, 'Ana's story is still being written.' Another notable feature of the book is its easy reading level. Although Ana's Story is being promoted heavily, it is not really designed for adults or advanced readers. Rather, it targets students and teachers with a study guide and several reference sections. Bush describes her writing as a 'mosaic' of Ana's life with chapters of only a couple hundred words pieced together 'to create an image of her past and a framework for her future.' It works well for youngsters, but readers used to more literary writing may find it too simple. That may not matter, however, since Bush's interest seems to lie with young audiences. She is already collaborating on an illustrated children's book with her mother, first lady Laura Bush. (AP)
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lexi Love comes out as HIV+ after Trump deletes federal resources
January 23 2025 11:23 AM
Ricky Martin delivers showstopping performance for 2024 World AIDS Day
December 05 2024 12:08 PM
Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources
January 31 2025 5:29 PM
California confirms first case of even more deadly mpox strain
November 18 2024 3:02 PM
This long-term HIV survivor says testosterone therapy helped save his life.
December 16 2024 8:00 PM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
Grindr is reminding us why jockstraps are so sexy and iconic
May 02 2025 5:36 PM
Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes
April 03 2025 7:15 PM
Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring
March 26 2025 12:20 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Trump admin moves to end federal HIV prevention programs
March 18 2025 6:10 PM
A camp for HIV-positive kids is for sale. Here's why its founder is celebrating
January 02 2025 12:21 PM
Decades of progress, uniting to fight HIV/AIDS
December 01 2024 12:30 PM
Climate change is disrupting access to HIV treatment
November 25 2024 11:05 AM
HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts
April 28 2025 2:11 PM
Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more
April 21 2025 4:10 PM
The Talk Season 5 premieres this spring with HIV guidance for the newly diagnosed
March 26 2025 1:00 PM
Jess King is here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life yet
March 24 2025 4:35 PM
Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times
March 11 2025 3:38 PM
Tyler TerMeer vows to continue to fight for health care for all
January 28 2025 3:00 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Trinity K Bonet quietly comes out trans
December 15 2024 6:27 PM
500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis
April 08 2025 3:51 PM
Discover the power of Wellness in your life
March 26 2025 12:41 PM
Celebrating Black History Month with our annual African American issue
February 01 2025 3:28 PM
Plus nominated for 2025 GLAAD Media Award
January 22 2025 12:42 PM
AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at White House for the first time
December 02 2024 1:21 PM
Hollywood must do better on HIV representation
December 01 2024 9:00 AM