Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Book Review - His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis & the Power of Hope; Jon Meacham


Random House - 2020

His Truth is Marching On, is a beautiful tribute to recently departed Congressman John Lewis.  

John Lewis was a man who at just 25 years of age was nearly beaten to death on "Bloody Sunday" as he marched with others on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in the name of justice and equality. Lewis, the great grandson of a slave grew up in Troy, AL. He was the son of a cotton farmer and from an early age his strong Christian faith and non violent principals guided him as a way of life. While attending seminary school in Nashville, TN, in the hopes of becoming a preacher, he was encouraged to join the Civil Rights Movement by John Lawson. Lewis struggled with his own insecurities at times but, he always pushed forward by getting others to organize and fight for what was right, something he called "good trouble."

This book is not a full biography but rather focuses mostly on the turbulent years 1957-1968 leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. His 30+ year career in Congress plays a minor role here.  I though Jon Meacham did a fabulous job showing us what inspired and drove Lewis to become a man of action, a man who deeply believe in equality and justice for all. Even weeks before his death from pancreatic cancer, Lewis  made it a point to attend the Black Lives Matter March in June at Lafayette Park in Washington, DC.

It seems clear that Meacham looks up to Lewis as an American Hero, and, I'm pretty sure that most readers, like me, who read this book will agree. I enjoyed the photos peppered throughout, as well as the afterward which was written by John Lewis. So happy I read this book.

Rating - 5/5 stars

9 comments:

  1. That sounds very interesting, we all need more heroes!

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  2. I so admired John Lewis. He really was a hero for our times. Let us hope that his truth will indeed march on.

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  3. This sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing, Diane.

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  4. I'll bet this would be great to listen to on audio. So glad you enjoyed it!

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  5. I just saw that this book is one of the Goodreads nominees for the year, but I hadn't seen it before that. It sounds like it's really good.

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  6. This sounds like a great read. Thanks, Diane!

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  7. Glad you reviewed this one! Love all Jon Meacham's books and this one sounds terrific. I'd like to know about Lewis's life story.

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