Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy
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- Author：Jamie Raskin
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Summary
In this searing memoir， Congressman Jamie Raskin tells the story of the forty-five days at the start of 2021 that permanently changed his life--and his family's--as he confronted the painful loss of his son to suicide， lived through the violent insurrection in our nation's Capitol， and led the impeachment effort to hold President Trump accountable for inciting the political violence。
On December 31， 2020， Tommy Raskin， the only son of Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin， tragically took his own life after a long struggle with depression。 Seven days later on January 6， Congressman Raskin returned to Congress to help certify the 2020 Presidential election results， when violent insurrectionists led by right wing extremist groups stormed the U。S。 Capitol hoping to hand four more years of power to President Donald Trump。 As our reeling nation mourned the deaths of numerous people and lamented the injuries of more than 140 police officers hurt in the attack， Congressman Raskin， a Constitutional law professor， was called upon to put aside his overwhelming grief--both personal and professional--and lead the impeachment effort against President Trump for inciting the violence。 Together this nine-member team of House impeachment managers riveted a nation still in anguish， putting on an unprecedented Senate trial that produced the most bipartisan Presidential impeachment vote in American history。
Now for the first time， Congressman Raskin discusses this unimaginable convergence of personal and public trauma， detailing how the painful loss of his son and the power of Tommy's convictions fueled the Congressman's work in the aftermath of modern democracy's darkest day。 Going inside Congress on January 6， he recounts the horror of that day， a day that he and other Democrats had spent months preparing for under the correct assumption that they would encounter an attempted electoral coup--not against a President but for one。 And yet， on January 6， he faced the one thing he had failed to anticipate: mass political violence designed to block Biden's election。 With an inside account of leading the team prosecuting President Trump in the Senate， Congressman Raskin shares never before told stories of just how close we came to losing our democracy that fateful day and lays out the methodical prosecution that convinced Democrats and Republicans alike of Trump's responsibility for inciting insurrectionary violence against our government。
Through it all， he reckons with the loss of his brilliant， remarkable son， a Harvard Law student whose values and memory continually inspired the Congressman to confront the dark impulses unleashed by Donald Trump。 At turns， a moving story of a father coping with his pain and a revealing examination of holding President Trump accountable for the violence he fomented， this book is a vital reminder of the ongoing struggle for the soul of American democracy and the perseverance that our Constitution demands from us all。
On December 31， 2020， Tommy Raskin， the only son of Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin， tragically took his own life after a long struggle with depression。 Seven days later on January 6， Congressman Raskin returned to Congress to help certify the 2020 Presidential election results， when violent insurrectionists led by right wing extremist groups stormed the U。S。 Capitol hoping to hand four more years of power to President Donald Trump。 As our reeling nation mourned the deaths of numerous people and lamented the injuries of more than 140 police officers hurt in the attack， Congressman Raskin， a Constitutional law professor， was called upon to put aside his overwhelming grief--both personal and professional--and lead the impeachment effort against President Trump for inciting the violence。 Together this nine-member team of House impeachment managers riveted a nation still in anguish， putting on an unprecedented Senate trial that produced the most bipartisan Presidential impeachment vote in American history。
Now for the first time， Congressman Raskin discusses this unimaginable convergence of personal and public trauma， detailing how the painful loss of his son and the power of Tommy's convictions fueled the Congressman's work in the aftermath of modern democracy's darkest day。 Going inside Congress on January 6， he recounts the horror of that day， a day that he and other Democrats had spent months preparing for under the correct assumption that they would encounter an attempted electoral coup--not against a President but for one。 And yet， on January 6， he faced the one thing he had failed to anticipate: mass political violence designed to block Biden's election。 With an inside account of leading the team prosecuting President Trump in the Senate， Congressman Raskin shares never before told stories of just how close we came to losing our democracy that fateful day and lays out the methodical prosecution that convinced Democrats and Republicans alike of Trump's responsibility for inciting insurrectionary violence against our government。
Through it all， he reckons with the loss of his brilliant， remarkable son， a Harvard Law student whose values and memory continually inspired the Congressman to confront the dark impulses unleashed by Donald Trump。 At turns， a moving story of a father coping with his pain and a revealing examination of holding President Trump accountable for the violence he fomented， this book is a vital reminder of the ongoing struggle for the soul of American democracy and the perseverance that our Constitution demands from us all。
Reviews
Kevin
，
The author shares the experience of losing a gifted， yet troubled son， and the violent attack on Jan 6， 2021 at his workplace at the U。S。 Capital。 These dual traumas are woven into this emotional and incisive remembrance of the most dangerous， dramatic， and crushing period of his life。 His narrative illuminates both his personal experience， and the most serious threat to our democracy our country has faced by a ruthless， criminal leader using all his power， both legal and illegal， to deny his el The author shares the experience of losing a gifted， yet troubled son， and the violent attack on Jan 6， 2021 at his workplace at the U。S。 Capital。 These dual traumas are woven into this emotional and incisive remembrance of the most dangerous， dramatic， and crushing period of his life。 His narrative illuminates both his personal experience， and the most serious threat to our democracy our country has faced by a ruthless， criminal leader using all his power， both legal and illegal， to deny his electoral loss of a second term。 We are still living with THE BIG LIE， that somehow Joe Biden wasn't legally elected and that the 2020 election was "stolen。" His Congressional GOP enablers， both diehard supporters， and cowardly acquiescers， are still a threat to democracy， and the violent white supremacists， neo-Nazi， anti- democracy "militias" continue as an ongoing threat。 I salute author and Congressman Raskin for his clear and skillful description of the crimes and actions he presented as an impeachment manager， and for the humanity， love， and intellectual ability he celebrated with his exploration of his personal grief over the loss of his beloved son。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Sudie
，
The Honorable Jamie Raskin has written a dual book: both a love story to Tommy Bloom Raskin and an ode to the Constitution。 Beautifully written & replete with splendid adjectives， he details the events from his son's untimely death to the horrors of Jan 6th and its aftermath。 In his too short life， Tommy left a profound legacy。 Raskin's ability to manage his congressional and impeachment responsibilities and to simultaneously grieve for his son are profound。 Must read for all who love democracy。 The Honorable Jamie Raskin has written a dual book: both a love story to Tommy Bloom Raskin and an ode to the Constitution。 Beautifully written & replete with splendid adjectives， he details the events from his son's untimely death to the horrors of Jan 6th and its aftermath。 In his too short life， Tommy left a profound legacy。 Raskin's ability to manage his congressional and impeachment responsibilities and to simultaneously grieve for his son are profound。 Must read for all who love democracy。 。。。more
Frederick Lucies
，
Unquestionably one of the most inspiring books I have readJamie Raskin in， no doubt an inspired and inspiring man - one to be praised and deeply admired。 His insights are great and his grasp of our frightening dilemma are incredible。 Nevertheless， he crafted this book by exhibiting the phenomenal insights and perspicacity of his incredible son as a way of inspiring us to a clearer vision of what is possible on earth。 Makes me wish I could have spent even an hour speaking with Tommy Bloom Raskin Unquestionably one of the most inspiring books I have readJamie Raskin in， no doubt an inspired and inspiring man - one to be praised and deeply admired。 His insights are great and his grasp of our frightening dilemma are incredible。 Nevertheless， he crafted this book by exhibiting the phenomenal insights and perspicacity of his incredible son as a way of inspiring us to a clearer vision of what is possible on earth。 Makes me wish I could have spent even an hour speaking with Tommy Bloom Raskin in person。 Goodbye， Tommy and thank you for your insights an you father’s love。 。。。more
Mark Gowan
，
On January 6th a large group of ignorant thugs attacked the capital。 After these people are all put in jail to rot， there needs to be books written about this pathetically sad event brought on by the Republicans and the man behind this wrecked excuse for a political party， Donald Trump。 This book， however， is not one of those books。 Jamie Raskin is undoubtedly a kind man with honest intentions to do what is best， if that is possible in today's politic。 He is a congressman， and a father， both of On January 6th a large group of ignorant thugs attacked the capital。 After these people are all put in jail to rot， there needs to be books written about this pathetically sad event brought on by the Republicans and the man behind this wrecked excuse for a political party， Donald Trump。 This book， however， is not one of those books。 Jamie Raskin is undoubtedly a kind man with honest intentions to do what is best， if that is possible in today's politic。 He is a congressman， and a father， both of which undermined his ability to write this book。As a congressman Raskin falls prey to the verbose grandstanding that congress is infamous for。 The book's basic story is tied to Raskin's and his children's unfortunately fate to have been at the capital on January 6th。 However， instead of presenting a viewpoint from the inside of the capital that sad day， Raskin falls prey to his own need to self aggrandize。 Parts of the book portray Raskin's personal experience as he was ushered away from violence but all throughout return to his work as a congressman， self-congratulating at times。The death of his son by suicide is the other side of this book， and I believe that the title， Unthinkable refers to both January 6th and his son's suicide approximately a week before。 A parent's loss of their child by suicide is in fact， unthinkable， and it might be understandable that Raskin uses this book to work through his tribulations， but the complex emotions of the loss of a child does not pair well with the larger issue of American citizens being willing to destroy one of the few goods this country actually has。Unfortunately Unthinkable comes across not as Raskin's attempt to make sense of the insurrection or his son's death， but as a way to take advantage of an opportunity。 I sincerely hope this is not the case， but throughout the book it is difficult to see past the possibility。 。。。more
Mary Pat
，
I could not put it down。 Admittedly， I lived in MD CD8 for 25 years and knew Congressman Rankin， but not his family。 He writes a no holds barred account of the desperate horror of his only son’s death by suicide and then interweaves his loving memories of Tommy in the literal days and weeks following his son’s death through the primary role he played in TFG’s second impeachment。
Anna Hanson
，
From the first pages， you are gripped by the depth of a father’s grief in the face of the unthinkable loss of his son， then whirled into the chaos and confusion of the attempted insurrection at the US Capitol while the mob attempts to carry out their perceived orders from a would-be tyrant。 The counterbalance of these two emotionally scarring events wind throughout the book as Mr Raskin traces his thoughts and recollections of each， weaving together the joy and love， sorrow and anguish both brou From the first pages， you are gripped by the depth of a father’s grief in the face of the unthinkable loss of his son， then whirled into the chaos and confusion of the attempted insurrection at the US Capitol while the mob attempts to carry out their perceived orders from a would-be tyrant。 The counterbalance of these two emotionally scarring events wind throughout the book as Mr Raskin traces his thoughts and recollections of each， weaving together the joy and love， sorrow and anguish both brought into his life。 Those who have known grief will recognize the moments he feels his son’s presence in his heart， even during stressful times。 May his memory continue to be a blessing - to all of us。 。。。more
Sue Telsrow
，
LoveLove of a child lost， but still in his heart。 And love a Country he feels may become lost and the man's fight to save it with thoughts of his son centered on his heart and mind。 I hope so very much he can do it with his magnitude of friends in Congress。 This country must be saved from tyranny LoveLove of a child lost， but still in his heart。 And love a Country he feels may become lost and the man's fight to save it with thoughts of his son centered on his heart and mind。 I hope so very much he can do it with his magnitude of friends in Congress。 This country must be saved from tyranny 。。。more
Connor Jenkins
，
4 stars - For the first half of this book， I was so steeped in the writing and the story of love that Raskin tells of his son， and I was ecstatic about the exemplar of a model in masculine loving that is rare。 And still， I am impressed by the immensely brilliant ability for Raskin to explain why he understood his son's death and the Capitol insurrection as connected， clearly parsing out their differences。 Yet， it felt like the sections on the political aftermath of the insurrection were redundan 4 stars - For the first half of this book， I was so steeped in the writing and the story of love that Raskin tells of his son， and I was ecstatic about the exemplar of a model in masculine loving that is rare。 And still， I am impressed by the immensely brilliant ability for Raskin to explain why he understood his son's death and the Capitol insurrection as connected， clearly parsing out their differences。 Yet， it felt like the sections on the political aftermath of the insurrection were redundant， and even though it was only in one fleeting mention， the support for a carceral liberalism frustrated me as reductive in an otherwise deeply reflective and important book that names the centrality of white nationalism and white supremacy in the insurrection。 Overall， I couldn't put the book down because of the richness of the writing and the love that underwrites the pages， even as there were points that ultimately reflected its authorship by a politician。 。。。more
william kienzle
，
thank you， Representative RaskinNo Review can do justice to this wonderful book and every American owes Jamie Raskin profound thanks for his service to the country。 His heartfelt tribute to his son Tommy and his excellent description and analysis of the current state of American politics is brilliant。Jamie Raskin and politicians like him give me hope when American democracy seems to be teetering on the verge or authoritarianism-fascism。
Teri
，
I learned so much。 Blessings to Jamie Raskin for having the strength to write and share this story with us。
Albina Retyunskikh
，
This is， without any shred of a doubt， one of the most beautiful and enlightening books I have ever had the privilege of reading。 A constitutional law professor， Congressman， and fervent progressive idealist， Jamie Raskin served as the Lead Impeachment Manager during Donald Trump's second impeachment trial mere days after the tragic and harrowing death of his son Tommy， who lost his battle against depression on the last day of 2020。 The book is a work of art and love， an expression of his zealou This is， without any shred of a doubt， one of the most beautiful and enlightening books I have ever had the privilege of reading。 A constitutional law professor， Congressman， and fervent progressive idealist， Jamie Raskin served as the Lead Impeachment Manager during Donald Trump's second impeachment trial mere days after the tragic and harrowing death of his son Tommy， who lost his battle against depression on the last day of 2020。 The book is a work of art and love， an expression of his zealous dedication to the constitution and the rule of law， and his unconditional， boundless love for his late son Tommy， who was also his political confidante and advisor。 Few people have the ability to so eloquently describe their grief， love， and dedication to justice and democracy as Raskin does。 The pure love and deep grief he expresses when talking about Tommy is profound and piercing。 The juxtaposition of Tommy's tragic death and his selfless dedication to peace and harmony while on Earth cannot be more stark。 While taken from his family at the young age of 25， Tommy Raskin's life had an enormous impact on his family， friends， community， and virtually anyone he ever came in contact with。 He was a light in this world， the person that will go out during a snowstorm to donate blood， the child that will ask his dad to peacefully protest against the war in Vietnam at the tender age of 8 years old， a slam poet， passionate vegan， and advocate for all， especially the marginalized， the poor， and those who cannot speak for themselves。 It is thanks to Tommy's spirit and and guidance， even in death， that Congressman Raskin took on the biggest job of his career so far， vowing to do all he could to protect the rule of law and democracy as America knows it。 Every word spoken by Congressman Raskin about his son's pure spirit and boundless love for all sentient beings is what makes this book an absolute must read， paired with his tireless devotion to justice and democracy。 What a delight it was to read a memoir by one of the most inspiring， eloquent， kind and decent people to have ever served in politics。 And even though he is an optimistic and fervent progressive， Raskin has the unique ability to connect and be able to work with people who think very differently than him politically， always politely， with respect， without ever shooting cheap shots or low blows at anyone。 He never stoops low， never goes for the jugular， and this， in part， is also thanks to his late son's example。 Congressman Raskin did a terrific job writing this book， and I highly recommend everyone to read it。 。。。more
Steve Miller
，
read this bookThat’s all。 Just read it。 You won’t regret it。 I could not be more proud to live in Jamie Raskin’s district。
Jimgosailing
，
As a parent， I can’t imagine losing a child。 I saw what it did to my parents when my oldest brother died when he was just thirty seven。 For Jamie Raskin， writing this I hope was cathartic for him。What an interesting weaving of personal loss and political turmoil。 A good read for a behind the scenes look at the second impeachment of Trump。 And as pointed out at the closing of the book， it ain’t over yet。 The Big Lie about the purported steal is still being perpetuated。 Republicans in certain stat As a parent， I can’t imagine losing a child。 I saw what it did to my parents when my oldest brother died when he was just thirty seven。 For Jamie Raskin， writing this I hope was cathartic for him。What an interesting weaving of personal loss and political turmoil。 A good read for a behind the scenes look at the second impeachment of Trump。 And as pointed out at the closing of the book， it ain’t over yet。 The Big Lie about the purported steal is still being perpetuated。 Republicans in certain states have now submitted falsified election documents （these people need to be prosecuted）。 In a run off House election， the Democrat won with 79% of the vote， but the Republican will not concede （is this actually necessary， for one side to have to actually concede for an election to conclude？） citing， with out presenting an evidence， irregularities。 I worry about the future of our democracy。 I think Trump’s inciting the insurrectionists on January 6 was his Hitlerian “beer hall putsch” and that it has only taught him and his cronies how to next time better go about grabbing power even if they have lost the popular vote。 As to the future， I can’t help but think of Tabitha’s response on January 6th to her father when he says， “it won’t be like this the next time you come to the Capitol” and her saying “Dad， I don’t want to come back to the Capitol。” I found this to be the real nadir in this book。 I hope that recent events will not turn our children off from being politically engaged。 The future of our democracy depends on it。 And it’s time to do away with the Electoral College。 This relic made sense when electors had to ride several days by horse back to Philadelphia or Annapolis to cast their ballots， but to also give them authority to recast their ballots in case of ties。 In this age of electronics， we should be able to vote on line （or in person if one chooses） and for the results to rest on the popular vote。 With the electoral college in place， “one man， one vote” is a misleading myth。 One rep from Wyoming represents the same number of voters as one county - one county！ - in Maryland。 it’s time to revisit the number of House seats which has remained unchanged since the 1920’s - a hundred years ago - when a block of Republicans then decided that the number should be capped。 They saw the future as the country evolving from a rural， agrarian society to an urban， industrial society and knew it spelled the end for Republicans。 I saw a proposal that the number of house seats should be revisited every ten years with the census and the one district with the fewest number of voters （e。g one state， one district like Wyoming） should become the basis for the size of all districts and the number of House seats would be determined from this。 That gets us closer to a real “one man， one vote”。 The number of Senate seats should also be addressed。 I haven’t seen any viable solutions for this problem， but given the growth of our country over two hundred years there’s a decided imbalance when democrat senators represent more than 40 million - 40 million！ - people more than Republican senators yet somehow the the number of seats remains 50-50。 。。。more
Evelyn Scogin
，
This was one of the most poignant books I have ready in a long time。 It will continue to give me pause to think about not only our current political situation but reminds me that our lawmakers are just people too most trying to do the best they can for our country but also to stop and consider how my actions effect others and think about our world and how we can affect change for good or I’ll if we close our minds to other views。
Robert Stevens
，
The strength of Representative Jamie Raskin’s book is how merges the story of and lessons learned from Tommy， his late son， and commentary on the Insurrection of January 6th and the second impeachment of Donald Trump。 I suggest listening to the audiobook read by the author himself as he gets emotional at times， which strengthens the book， in my opinion。 Representative Raskin shares the trauma of losing his son shortly before 1/6， which he describes as the worst thing he has experienced， which he The strength of Representative Jamie Raskin’s book is how merges the story of and lessons learned from Tommy， his late son， and commentary on the Insurrection of January 6th and the second impeachment of Donald Trump。 I suggest listening to the audiobook read by the author himself as he gets emotional at times， which strengthens the book， in my opinion。 Representative Raskin shares the trauma of losing his son shortly before 1/6， which he describes as the worst thing he has experienced， which he used as a shield on that day of the attack on the Capitol。 A strong passage about his son was how Representative Raskin learned to not be afraid of the political machine when his 11 year old son said those are only four other people mentioned in favor of the incumbent as he asked “what about all the rest？” If you put in the work， you can overcome the odds and the machine。 Additionally， Raskin makes clear that on the topic of suicide， how his son died， taboos create mystery and people are attracted to mystery。 We have to speak the word:suicide。 The author always emphasizes how people shouldn’t have to die to show love to them。 Another memorable passage on the topic of family is the comprissions made to an Amish quilt with each patch represents a member of the family that keeps growing， including those who are alive and those who are not。 Representative Raskin also emphasizes how important it is to remember what happened and to understand the facts while ignoring the fiction and the myths as democracies have to learn and grow when they are attacked。 An important quote is that “if we can’t get the past right， how can we get the future right？” Additionally， we have to ask ourselves if this truly is the America that we want while working to put into action the idea that we respond to the good points from those of differing views as opposed to the nonsense。 If possible， we need to get to a point when we not only say the following， but make it a reality: Democrats don’t work for other Democrats and Republicans don’t work for only Republicans。 。。。more
Mitzi Cyrus
，
I wish there were a way to give this more than five stars。 The number of times I cried while reading it were testament to the deep love Raskin has for family and country， and the extraordinary descriptions of his son。 I would recommend this book to anyone。
Jane
，
Jamie Raskin's narrative of his brilliant， loving son's suicide at the end of Dec。 2020， and the subsequent attack on the US Capitol a week later， intertwine personal grief and the need to confront the dangerous forces of anti-democracy rising in the US。 He delineates clearly his task as head of the committee of the second impeachment process， his hopes for maintaining a free republic， and his ongoing involvement to achieve a goal that his son would have worked for diligently。 This is in part a Jamie Raskin's narrative of his brilliant， loving son's suicide at the end of Dec。 2020， and the subsequent attack on the US Capitol a week later， intertwine personal grief and the need to confront the dangerous forces of anti-democracy rising in the US。 He delineates clearly his task as head of the committee of the second impeachment process， his hopes for maintaining a free republic， and his ongoing involvement to achieve a goal that his son would have worked for diligently。 This is in part a poignant， emotional family story and a brave acceptance of a call for examining Jan 6 for moral bravery and truth。 。。。more
Debra Baker
，
Beautifully WrittenJamie Raskin's Unthinkable is full of facts of the Jan。 6， 2021 insurrection， but it is also full of love for family and his fellow mankind。There were a couple of times near the end of the book when the date of the insurrection was stated as Jan。 2020 instead of Jan。 2021， but that could be changed for the second edition。 I appreciate the complete candor with which this was written。 I look forward to reading future books from Jamie Raskin。 Beautifully WrittenJamie Raskin's Unthinkable is full of facts of the Jan。 6， 2021 insurrection， but it is also full of love for family and his fellow mankind。There were a couple of times near the end of the book when the date of the insurrection was stated as Jan。 2020 instead of Jan。 2021， but that could be changed for the second edition。 I appreciate the complete candor with which this was written。 I look forward to reading future books from Jamie Raskin。 。。。more
Scott Shaw
，
This book moved me on many levels; as a grieving father， a sufferer of depression， anxiety and OCD， and a fascination with the shitshow that the USA has sadly become。 Well worth the read。
Michele Weiner
，
I have read most of the political books written since 2016， and enjoyed most of them; but this one is special。 It is a memoir of the life of Rep。 Raskin's son， Thomas Bloom Raskin， who took his life in late December of this past year。 It is also and secondarily an account of the second impeachment hearing of the former guy， whose name I will not speak。 It is successful beyond measure in every way。 Inspiring， uplifting， and so very sad。 You will cry。 But a portrait of an extraordinary young man a I have read most of the political books written since 2016， and enjoyed most of them; but this one is special。 It is a memoir of the life of Rep。 Raskin's son， Thomas Bloom Raskin， who took his life in late December of this past year。 It is also and secondarily an account of the second impeachment hearing of the former guy， whose name I will not speak。 It is successful beyond measure in every way。 Inspiring， uplifting， and so very sad。 You will cry。 But a portrait of an extraordinary young man and an extraordinary family that you should not miss。 。。。more
david n。 sosland
，
Powerful， honest， and heartbreaking。 This should be mandatory reading for every Republican Senator and Congressman， as well as every Trump/cult follower。
Carolyn Harper
，
Jamie Raskin’s book is both a tribute to his son who committed suicide at the end of 2020 and a narrative about what went on in Trump’s second impeachment trial。 The book is beautifully written; Raskin is a born storyteller。 As one would expect， the book is highly partisan yet deals kindly with Raskin’s congressional colleagues。 I have great respect for Raskin’s legal mind。 I loved his memories of Tommy， his son， though his portrayal was of a young man too perfect， good to be true。 Still， I can Jamie Raskin’s book is both a tribute to his son who committed suicide at the end of 2020 and a narrative about what went on in Trump’s second impeachment trial。 The book is beautifully written; Raskin is a born storyteller。 As one would expect， the book is highly partisan yet deals kindly with Raskin’s congressional colleagues。 I have great respect for Raskin’s legal mind。 I loved his memories of Tommy， his son， though his portrayal was of a young man too perfect， good to be true。 Still， I can understand a father idealizing his son， especially as they were so very close。 Overall， a very good read。 。。。more
Pat Painter
，
This is a beautiful tribute， obituary really， from a father to his only son。 It is also an almost day by day account of the horrible storming of our Capitol， the deceit， betrayals， and down right lies of those defending the thugs who participated。I would like to give it 5 stars but it was really too long。 Had it been edited more， and not rather repetitious I believe it would have been a more powerful story。
Laura
，
4。5 ⭐️ Jamie Raskin may have just gone a long way toward restoring some of my faith in humanity。 Which I what I desperately need out of 2022。This book is about two tragedies， one private， one public。On Dec 31， 2020， Raskin found his adult son， Tommy， dead by suicide。A week later， on Jan 6， 2021， he was caught in the terror of the Insurrection， as a member of the House。 （So were his daughter， and his son-in-law: they were there with him as guests， to keep close during their grief。）The two events 4。5 ⭐️ Jamie Raskin may have just gone a long way toward restoring some of my faith in humanity。 Which I what I desperately need out of 2022。This book is about two tragedies， one private， one public。On Dec 31， 2020， Raskin found his adult son， Tommy， dead by suicide。A week later， on Jan 6， 2021， he was caught in the terror of the Insurrection， as a member of the House。 （So were his daughter， and his son-in-law: they were there with him as guests， to keep close during their grief。）The two events are unbreakably bound for him。Raskin writes incisively about both calamities。 The terrible loss of his son is both wrenching and beautiful。 Raskin adores all his children。 So each word about Tommy is both an ode and an elegy， enhancing both the gift of his life and the chasm of his absence。Raskin is also an ardent fan of democracy and public service。 So the assault on our election by Trump’s mob is a grievous affront to him。 And he discusses the threat of this coup in extensive， eloquent detail。Raskin was a Professor of Law before he began working as a public servant。 And his oratory and instructional skills are put to good use here， detailing this event in historical and Constitutional context。 When he moves into talking about his role as Lead Impeachment Manager， it is a testament to his acumen that the listener can follow along with his legal maneuvers and follow the logic of his arguments。 His mind is an American treasure， and we are lucky to have someone of his intellect working for us。But the heart of the book， the true inspiration， is in understanding what a good， decent， loving man this is。 Indeed， the same can be said of his entire extended family。 It’s evident in the way he speaks of everyone he loves。 It’s underscored by the countless friends he mentions who come to the family’s side when Tommy dies。 It’s highlighted when he tells of true respectful relationships he’s forged with some Republican counterparts。 （The reader can infer he is characterizing these truthfully - not exaggerating them or whitewashing them - when he also speaks of Republican counterparts he no longer holds in esteem。） And when he writes of his hope that the Senators are reasonable， logical， intelligent， and patriotic enough to vote Trump guilty， it’s not a cockeyed idea。 It comes from his confidence in the argument he and his team laid out。 In these moments of this book is where I found glimmers of my own previous optimism in - and love for - humanity。 To know that people of the Raskins’ character are still out there， still working hard for the good of us all， remaining undaunted in the face of such tragedies， is a true comfort。 In fact， this was cathartic。 There is so much we’ve all lost since 2020， so much we haven’t been able to properly process。 In feeling the loss of Tommy with Raskin， the listener is able to tap into some of their own feelings of loss。 And in hearing Raskin’s account of 1/6， and his subsequent trial of Trump， one can process some of the anger and frustration about that event。 If you’ve despaired that “nothing happened - no one was held accountable - he got away with it” that’s understandable。 But Raskin is here to tell you it isn’t quite true。 A lot was done。 The historical record is unambiguous。 And more is being done by people like Raskin every day。 I wholeheartedly recommend this book。 。。。more
Fatimah Omar
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I am blown away by the incredible writing talent of Jamie Raskin who weaved a historical account of the darkest period in our American history and the darkest days of his life when he lost his precious Tommy， It was an honor and privilege to read about Tommy's spirit and his everlasting contribution to our society and the world。 His goodness and humor touched all those who knew him and now to all readers who are fortunate enough to read this book。 Excellent story of mourning and loss on a person I am blown away by the incredible writing talent of Jamie Raskin who weaved a historical account of the darkest period in our American history and the darkest days of his life when he lost his precious Tommy， It was an honor and privilege to read about Tommy's spirit and his everlasting contribution to our society and the world。 His goodness and humor touched all those who knew him and now to all readers who are fortunate enough to read this book。 Excellent story of mourning and loss on a personal a societal level。 。。。more
Janet Blanthorn
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Jamie's account is a must read。 He clearly explains what the importance of the assault on democracy means and why January 6th is so important。 His personal account of his family is exceptionally moving。 Jamie's account is a must read。 He clearly explains what the importance of the assault on democracy means and why January 6th is so important。 His personal account of his family is exceptionally moving。 。。。more
Carolyn Strong
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A well written accounting of a first-hand account of not only January 6 and the resulting impeachment but also a father’s grief upon the loss of his son。 Raskin is persuasive and a great narrator of these dual stunning historic events。 You get a real feel for the person Tommy was and how his unique character brought strength to his father as he dealt with his job as a Congressman and an impeachment manager。 Prepare to feel deeply and have a front seat view of the impeachment trial。 After reading A well written accounting of a first-hand account of not only January 6 and the resulting impeachment but also a father’s grief upon the loss of his son。 Raskin is persuasive and a great narrator of these dual stunning historic events。 You get a real feel for the person Tommy was and how his unique character brought strength to his father as he dealt with his job as a Congressman and an impeachment manager。 Prepare to feel deeply and have a front seat view of the impeachment trial。 After reading this book， I have an immense respect for Jamie Raskin as a father， lawyer and public servant。 。。。more
Binki McKenna
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Jamie Raskin writes a compelling story about the trauma of losing his 25 year old son Tommy and the January 6 insurrection。 He makes a great argument through the book （as he also did during the 2nd impeachment of Trump） that the January 6th attack on the Capital was part of a larger plan to replace the Elector votes for Biden and then to use the 12th Amendment to present a new slate of Republican electors so Trump would be declared the winner of the 2020 election。
Just Cantonhall
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Recommend to all This was such a personal account not only of the loss of this young man， but the blood & sweat that went into the impeachment， prep， outline， & completion。 Good to know that there are congressmen out there with you're dedication & efficacy to the job。Thank you for your personal story。 Excellent Read Blessings to you & yours。 Recommend to all This was such a personal account not only of the loss of this young man， but the blood & sweat that went into the impeachment， prep， outline， & completion。 Good to know that there are congressmen out there with you're dedication & efficacy to the job。Thank you for your personal story。 Excellent Read Blessings to you & yours。 。。。more
Joe
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