Publisher's Weekly Review
Democratic congresswoman Jayapal (Pilgrimage) recounts her path to the House of Representatives and calls on "women, immigrants, people of color, and allies of all stripes" to become "agents of change" in this polished yet heartfelt account. Born in India and raised mostly in Indonesia, Jayapal attended college in the U.S. and briefly sold cardiac defibrillators before joining a Seattle healthcare nonprofit. Disturbed by the backlash against South Asians following 9/11, Jayapal led the effort to have Washington State declared a "Hate Free Zone," and drew attention to the targeting of Somali-American groceries and other Muslim-owned businesses by the Bush administration. Elected to Congress in 2016, she has championed the $15 minimum wage, immigrant rights, and Medicare for All. Jayapal interweaves blow-by-blow accounts of legislative achievements and setbacks with more personal matters, such as the difficult birth of her first child, Janak, and the moment Janak came out as gender nonconforming. The afterword offers advice for fellow "brown" women and their allies on how to "bend the power structures to their needs." Though she occasionally lapses into self-congratulation and PR-speak, Jayapal is genuinely captivating when writing about her determination to fight for the poor and oppressed. This inspirational chronicle frequently rises above the pitfalls of political memoir. Agent: Sandra Dijkstra, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. (June)
Kirkus Review
The first Indian American woman elected to the House of Representatives chronicles the path that led her to commit to fight for a more inclusive society. In 1982, Jayapal came to the U.S. to begin her studies at Georgetown. After graduating, she decided to "fulfill my promise to my father by parlaying my liberal arts degree…to the top investment banks in New York City as the foundation of other success." Realizing investment banking was not right for her, she "did the next most expected thing" and went to business school. Jayapal also tutored poor children on Chicago's South Side, where she discovered that her true calling was to help the underserved. An internship with a nonprofit organization serving refugees in Thailand and a fellowship to study villages in India followed. Her political activism emerged in the wake of 9/11, when she became the force behind the campaign to make Seattle and Washington state at large "Hate Free Zones." Jayapal quickly learned "how to build movements and apply political pressure," even if that meant going to jail. Within a decade, she became a vocal advocate for Seattle's Sanctuary Cities ordinances and the Fight for $15 movement. In 2014, she was elected to the Washington Senate on a progressive platform. She caught the attention of Bernie Sanders, who helped her fundraise for a successful 2016 House run. Now a tireless fighter for everything from immigration and Medicare reform to livable incomes for all, Jayapal sets forth a vision to create "an America more just…than the one we were handed." At the end, she offers a list of political lessons for all, but especially for female change-makers of color. Passionate and unapologetically leftist, this hopeful book not only chronicles an immigrant's political successes, but, more significantly, the enduring faith in American democracy that inspired them. A passionately articulate memoir and political manifesto. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Washington Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal recounts her political education in a memoir of remarkable generosity, humor, and spirit. The first Indian American woman and a rare naturalized citizen to serve in Congress, Jayapal combines finely honed political instincts with the passion and the intersectional analysis of an experienced social justice activist. Horrified by the racist anti-immigrant sentiment that arose after 9/11, Jayapal established Hate Free Zone Washington, building strong multiracial alliances. When a congressional seat opened, Jayapal decided to run despite her initial reluctance to trade activism for becoming a political "insider." Along the way, she came to appreciate the importance of demanding respect for herself as a woman of color in predominantly white, male power centers and what that means to the marginalized people she represents. Her tales from the front, including accompanying asylum seekers across the U.S.-Mexico border with no security detail to ensure they received just treatment and her determination to hold Congressional hearings on Medicare for all despite enormous opposition, are riveting. Jayapal is not afraid to lead with her heart; some of her most powerful moments in Congress have been her revelations of such deeply personal experiences as her struggle with postpartum depression, her abortion, and what she has learned from raising a transgender child. A remarkable story of a remarkable leader.Women in Focus: The 19th in 2020