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A review by cc_loves_books
The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris
3.0
As far as politicians’ memoirs go, I found this one middle of the road. I enjoyed listening to Kamala Harris narrate the audiobook, and learned a lot about her personal and professional background. This was clearly intended for its release in the run-up to the 2020 election, so it lacked some of the candor and reflection an “outgoing” political figure may have been more likely to share. It read more like a CV, with anecdotes and personal perspective.
I was disappointed that she spoke of the refugee crisis at the US/Mexico border, detailing statistics about the civil wars in Central America and later gang violence without even mentioning the US involvement in those conflicts. That felt like a pretty glaring intentional omission or rather naive blind spot. Similarly in praising Israel for “making the desert bloom” with water management without mentioning that such sustainable development benefits only certain groups, while the entire Palestinian nation is cut from access to equal resources and rights. I know these are political issues, but that is precisely the point.
Domestically, she highlighted the good she tried to enact in her role as a public prosecutor, adding nuance to the issues (beyond the “tough on crime”/“easy on crime” false binary). A bit more reflection on the systemic racism and foundational issues of prisons in the US and the legal system that feeds them would have been welcome. She touched on these, but not deeply.
I was disappointed that she spoke of the refugee crisis at the US/Mexico border, detailing statistics about the civil wars in Central America and later gang violence without even mentioning the US involvement in those conflicts. That felt like a pretty glaring intentional omission or rather naive blind spot. Similarly in praising Israel for “making the desert bloom” with water management without mentioning that such sustainable development benefits only certain groups, while the entire Palestinian nation is cut from access to equal resources and rights. I know these are political issues, but that is precisely the point.
Domestically, she highlighted the good she tried to enact in her role as a public prosecutor, adding nuance to the issues (beyond the “tough on crime”/“easy on crime” false binary). A bit more reflection on the systemic racism and foundational issues of prisons in the US and the legal system that feeds them would have been welcome. She touched on these, but not deeply.