9 Books To Help You Heal From The Trump Trauma
It’s January 20, 2021. Inauguration Day. It’s a new day and the end of an era. The end of tyranny. If you’re anything like the 81,281,502 (& counting) Americans who cast their vote for President Biden, you’re looking to unite the country. Unity with accountability will be the key to moving forward. Unity-with a little bit of understanding of the past 4 years- will propel us forward. Without knowledge, we cannot move in the right direction. With that being said, here are 8 books that will help you on your journey forward.
- Unbelievable by Katy Tur
Katy Tur is an American correspondent for NBC & MSNBC, who is living with her French Tinder boyfriend in London. Slowly but seemingly at once, she starts to give up vacations and her social life to embark on a 500+ day journey tailing the Trump presidential campaign. Trump knows her name and goes from saying she’s a “mediocre” to “wonderful” to “lying” to “little” (what) reporter. On brand for him, but shocking for Tur. Tur recounts the moments and unfortunate reasons that Trump became our nation’s leader.
2. Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump
Mary Trump, the niece of Donald Trump & daughter of the eldest Trump child, is a psychologist with lots of family trauma to continually unpack. She tells the tale of the Trump saga & highlights the difference of how it formed the woman she is and the manchild Donald Trump is. Our now twice impeached president came from money but had a mother with chronic illness who neglected him and a father who didn’t want to be a father and made his children live up to impossible standards. No spoilers needed for this one, just look at how our country is doing.
3. Un-Trumping America by Dan Pfeiffer
This book talks about politics, “Trumpism”, and offers America a clearer path forward. Written by President Obama’s former senior advisor, Pfeiffer speaks from experience from the insides of D.C. He continues this story on his podcast “Pod Save America”, is busy saving the world one tweet at a time, & is the founder of The Message Box.
4. Our Time is Now by Stacey Abrams
Our Georgia QUEEN! The reason Georgia went from red to purple to blue. Stacey’s gubernatorial race was filled with all too common voter suppression. Instead of inciting a riot after Brian Kemp was instead sworn in as the Governor of Georgia, Stacey made a documentary, founded Fair Fight 2020, worked tirelessly to combat voter inequality, and showed Georgia THE WAY (the Biden, Ossoff & Warnock way!).
5. A Promised Land by former President Barack Obama
Does this one need an explanation? Former President Obama chronicles the first half of his presidency and early career- explaining his actions, speaking from his diverse background, and being well… Presidential. It’s been 4 years too long since we’ve seen that!
6. Hoax by Brian Stelter
Stelter breaks down how Fox became the big corporation that it is today, how it moved further right from its motto “fair and balanced,” how it groomed a man to become president,& how it dictated what said the president believed and reported out upon. Filled with interviews from former & current Fox employees, Hoax explores how Ailes, Hannity, Murdoch, & friends enabled a man who they too deemed “crazy,” because he claims to be a Republican. They are more worried about pushing their political agenda than they are about reporting the truth and holding any person with conservative beliefs accountable.
7. Where The Light Enters by Dr. Jill Biden
Dr. Biden is a funny, introspective force to be reckoned with. She recounts her family life, meeting Joe, accepting his proposal after his fifth attempt, becoming a mother & experiencing tragedy after tragedy after tragedy. She uses humor and faith to continuously cope with her losses. The story starts off with her punching her sister’s bully in the face & then running home to tell her father, who congratulates her. If that doesn’t draw a reader in- I’m not sure what else could. This glimpse into the now FLOTUS’s life is a delight.
8. Promise Me, Dad by President Joe Biden
President Biden recalls the horrors of finding out his eldest son, Beau, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma & the strength he summoned to help his son fight through it. While Beau’s fight ended in tragedy, the book highlights his courage and ability to lift up those around him. Peppered with stories from Joe’s time as VPOTUS, the story is not for the faint of heart. The Biden family has faced incredible amounts of tragedy & have emerged with grace, dignity & even more empathy
9. The Truths We Hold by Vice-President Kamala Harris
An unofficial thesis for Kamala’s Vice-Presidential run. She talks about her upbringing, her core values, her career & her general policies. Kamala is the icon we were all anxiously awaiting to break the glass ceiling in Washington DC.