Rielle Hunter’s new memoir of her life as John Edwards’ on-again mistress — whoops, off-again, she told Good Morning America on Tuesday — does not offer much news. Nor, buyer be warned, much sex: Things have a way of fading discreetly to black. (“He led me to the most extraordinary night of my life. There was a lot of talk, a lot of laughter, and zero sleep.”) But for those still fascinated/horrified/angry/perplexed by the Edwards affair and wanting more, we scoured an early copy of What Really Happened, released Tuesday and found some highlights.

•  Weeks after they first hooked up in 2006, Edwards arranged for Hunter to show up at a mall where he was shopping with his young kids so she could meet them.

•  He brought her to his family’s Georgetown home, “but we didn’t stay in the master bedroom. I thought that would be way too weird.”

•  “The problem with our relationship is pretty obvious: someone who is living a life devoted to spiritual truth is probably not going to be the best mistress. . . . I never read any mistress handbooks, and therefore didn’t realize how important it is . . .to keep your mouth shut!”

•  “John Edwards . . . believed what people were saying to be true, because he wanted it to be true. . . . He really believed he was the savior, the golden boy for the Democratic Party. People told him that all day long.”

•  That sex tape was his idea, when they were both “sleep-deprived” on an overseas trip, and she was not pregnant when they filmed it.

•  Hunter mocks the 27-year-old campaign staffer Josh Brumberger, who got fired after he raised concerns about the affair: “Did Josh really think that he would be the chosen one?”

•  In summer 2007, “I saw Johnny for two nights and he had never been sweeter to me. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, he should renew his vows more often!’ ”

•  After their affair was revealed, Edwards told her that Hillary Rodham Clinton made a point of telling him that she had nothing to do with the National Enquirer publishing its story. Hunter’s reaction: “All I could think was: Hillary Clinton knows my name?”

•  After reconnecting with Edwards when he separated from his wife (evidenced by many, many recent photos of them as a family group with daughter Quinn, now 4), Hunter was frustrated that they couldn’t recapture their old spark. “I began requesting couples therapy. . . . I was met with many ‘maybe, if I don’t get indicted’-type responses.” So she broke up with him. After he mended his ways, she agreed to take him back — a full 24 hours later.

The Washington Post