Grounded

A Senator’s Lessons on Winning Back Rural America

By: Jon Tester

Narrated by: Jon Tester

An inspiring and eye-opening memoir showing how Democrats can reconnect with rural and red-state voters, from Montana’s three-term democratic senator.

Senator Jon Tester is a rare voice in Congress. He is the only United States senator who manages a full-time job outside of the Senate—as a farmer. But what has really come to distinguish Tester in the Senate is his commitment to accountability, his ability to stand up to Donald Trump, and his success in, time and again, winning red state voters back to the Democratic Party.

In Grounded, Tester shares his early life, his rise in the Democratic party, his vision for helping rural America, and his strategies for reaching red state voters. Leaning deeply into lessons on the value of authenticity and hard work that he learned growing up on his family’s 1,800-acre farm near the small town of Big Sandy, Montana—the same farm he continues to work today with his wife, Sharla—Tester has made his political career a testament to crossing the divides of class and geography. The media and Democrats too often discount rural people as Trump supporters; Tester knows better. His voice is vital to the public discourse as we seek to understand the issues that are important to rural and working-class America in not just the 2020 election but also for years to come.

A heartfelt and inspiring memoir from a courageous voice, Grounded shows us that the biggest threat to our democracy isn’t a president who has no moral compass. It’s politicians who don’t understand the value of accountability and hard work. Tester demonstrates that if American democracy is to survive, we must put our trust in the values that keep us grounded.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

The fascinating story of an honorable man

This book opened my eyes to rural America, a perspective that is often overlooked. Informative and human in the best sense.

A Voice of Reason, Hope and Aspiration

This book should be a must read for anyone who wonders why there are not more democrats in rural America. Jon Tester speaks frankly and honestly about the urban/rural divide and attests to the simple truths of listening before speaking.
He is the perfect spokesperson for anyone wanting to gain a better understanding of the politics of rural and small town America.

Our next American president!

Senator Testor shares the insights, motivations, and history in telling his story about how and why he shows up for Montana. I am very proud and grateful for his engagement to our nation. This book restored hope that there are great people who are interested in finding middle ground and common sense good rather than power and profit.

please run for president 2024!!!!

Required listening for true patriots and caring souls

A wonderful inside look at state and federal politics, and a call to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to one another regardless of race, class, or party. Anyone (really) caring about future viability of the US would benefit from the down to earth, if slightly boasty at times, accounts of this hard working centrist from Montana’s farmland.

Makes me like him more

John Tester is a pragmatic center Democrat which happens to align with my view of the world. I guess that’s why I enjoyed his book. I didn’t really know him before reading this, but I sure do feel like I do now. In an age where parties are falling into easy traps of polarizing people and politics, it’s nice to be reminded of the character of certain politicians trying to do good for their constituents by plugging away at the things that make an impact for them. If Tester runs for president, this east coast suburban women will campaign for him. His story is a bit of chronology so some details I could have skipped, but it sets the context for what makes him who he is. Easy to like.