Sarah Palin was impossible to miss in 2008, when John McCain lifted the little-known Alaska governor onto the national stage. A “force of nature,” she mixed folksy confidence with underdog grit—then eventually stepped back into a life marked in recent years more by personal upheaval than politics. Born in Idaho and raised in Wasilla, Alaska, Palin was a standout at Wasilla High, where basketball shaped her competitive spirit. She met her future husband, Todd, at a game. In 1988, the high-school sweethearts eloped at a courthouse with two elderly witnesses because they couldn’t afford a wedding. Together, they built a...
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