Her ghostwriting career was built on a mix of kindness, grit and the ability to tell stories fast. French’s first bestseller was a collaboration with Bristol Palin, then a reality TV star and daughter of former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. French had written a novel that went nowhere and was looking for another project when her agent told her Bristol Palin needed a ghostwriter who could work fast.
Before long she was on a plane to Alaska and hanging out at the Palins’ house and then cranking out “Not Afraid of Life,” Bristol Palin’s 2011 bestseller. The two remain friends.
“I love that woman,” said French. “She was trying to navigate some complicated waters—and people were so uncharitable to her.”
That bestseller opened the door to a new career for French, who had a knack for putting herself in other people’s shoes and hearing their stories—something she describes as a sacred experience.
She has few regrets for her earlier work in conservative circles. She has strong beliefs and loved the give and take of writing about politics.
“I had the ‘conservative talking points’ down to a science,” Nancy writes. “I could write about American military strength, ‘family values,’ and personal responsibility and know exactly how it would be received among other conservatives.”
She felt betrayed when folks who once shared those beliefs appeared to have abandoned them. French said she didn’t change, but the world around her changed and folks that she once went to church with and called friends turned their back on her.
That has brought a sense of loss as well as a sense of clarity.
“It’s actually helpful to know who hates you because of Trump,” she said. “I’m really glad that I’m not hanging out with these people at Christian gatherings anymore.”
There has also been some joy in recent years, in particular, in an unexpected friendship with the staff of the “Moth”—the popular public radio storytelling show. In a recent episode, she told the story of her early married life and how David Lee Roth helped teach her to believe in love.
She also told in social media posts of the support she’d received from her husband and friends after being diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.
