Every Day Is a Gift

Senator Duckworth’s memoir is a compelling and engrossing narrative that invites readers into her fascinating life. She begins by delving into her family history and her experience growing up as a biracial child in Thailand, and shares memories of the political turmoil she witnessed there. Next, she uncovers the challenges her family faced when they moved to Hawai’i in her teenage years. Much of the book explores Duckworth’s military career, dedication to serving her adopted home country, and recovery from the injuries she sustained when her Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2014. She also engagingly explores her political career, including serving in the Illinois House of Representatives and being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2017. Written with a consistently compassionate and honest voice, this book will appeal to a variety of people. Duckworth writes with the aim of sharing her authentic self, and she succeeds. This is one of the most approachable and inspiring political memoirs to date.