Book Review: The Truths We Hold

Here’s my book review for The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris. Don’t forget to leave a comment if you’ve read it too. And check out today’s writing prompt at the bottom of this post.

The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris expertly toggles between her personal narratives and up-close accounts of her real-life work, which will leave readers with the impression that her life is her work. And that’s what makes this book, and Harris as a result, seem authentic to me, as a reader. She discusses her personal life as passionately and with the same level of detail that she does her life’s work, and they are often interwoven. 

As you read this book, you start to see more and more how Harris is compassionate and a team player yet direct and capable of strong leadership, how she’s a rule follower yet still resourceful. 

As exemplified in this memoir via personal and professional stories, Harris seems to work to ensure that the rules she’s following also apply to and work for everyone, which sometimes prompts her to think and work outside the box (rules) when necessary. 

After reading this book, you should walk away with a clearer vision of who Kamala Harris is: she’s a no-nonsense tough prosecutor and pragmatic legislator who genuinely works diligently for the people, especially those who don’t have a voice or the capacity to speak up for themselves, or who are treated unjustly and unfairly. At her core, that seems to be who she genuinely is. And she genuinely honors and upholds the ideals and promises that are encoded in the U.S. Constitution. 

I genuinely enjoyed following Harris’ personal and professional journey in this book. While she often offered interesting statistics and studies, she only used them to explain why a project or major legislative/law enforcement undertaking mattered to her, and how she decided to approach it. 

I also thoroughly enjoyed reading stories about those who influenced the trajectory of her life and work, which included those close to her, those who came before her, those she worked with, as well as those individuals who inspired her work along the way in a vast number of ways. There are many inspiring and thoughtful quotes from a diverse set of people in the book that you might end up wanting to bookmark as you read it. 

Most of all, I appreciated Harris’ thoughts on patriotism and how to get work done, and appreciated how her memoir ended with a sincere, well laid out call to action for everyone. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to those who are GENUINELY INTERESTED in learning more about Kamala Harris as a person and what makes her tick, her life’s work and what issues matter to her, as well as how she works. I, for one, feel like I understand her much better after reading this memoir. 

I would also suggest listening to the audio version of this book because she narrates it herself which makes it more personal and engaging.

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Today’s Writing Prompt