This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Utah's Mia Love made history Tuesday by becoming the first black Republican woman elected to Congress, and she's expected to be a prominent new voice in national politics.

A news article is often called the first draft of history; The Salt Lake Tribune is providing a second draft of Love's story, a deeper look at the major events that brought her to the halls of Congress.

"Mia Love: The Rise, Stumble and Resurgence of the Next GOP Star," a political biography, was reported and written by veteran Tribune journalists Matt Canham, Robert Gehrke and Thomas Burr. It explores the defining moments in Love's life and rise to represent Utah's 4th Congressional District, illuminated through dozens of interviews with Love, her family, those closest to her and those critical of her.

"Our reporters decided Mia Love's story deserved more than the usual coverage and we gave them the support needed to tell it in its entirety," said Terry Orme, Tribune editor and publisher. "This book demonstrates our commitment to journalism in all of its forms."

The ebook edition is for sale now on Amazon and Smashwords. A print book will be available soon in area bookstores.

Love's tale begins in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, during the reign of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, one of the world's most reviled dictators. It continues in suburban Connecticut, where she reveled in musical theater.

And after her conversion to Mormonism it shifts to Utah, where a political awakening led her first to the city council in Saratoga Springs and later to the mayor's seat.

During her first congressional campaign, she was forced to replace key staff members, spent too much time campaigning for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and her polls were flawed. Still, she lost to well-known Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson by three-tenths of 1 percent.

In less than two months, she returned to the campaign trail and this week marched to victory – albeit narrowly. She'll take the oath of office in January 2015, joining a House Republican caucus that wants to increase its appeal to minorities and women.