I was interested to learn that Mary L. Trump -- Donald's estranged niece -- had another book coming out this summer. I read and enjoyed her previous book, about growing up in the Trump family ("Too Much and Never Enough" -- reviewed here).
Like "Too Much and Never Enough," "The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal" is a short read. It's not so much about Mary's infamous uncle as about the trauma he left in his wake, and how America can heal from it. But Donald Trump is not the sole source of America's problems (although he certainly exacerbated them): Mary believes her uncle's presidency was the culmination of a long series of traumas America has endured as a nation -- primarily stemming from its "original sin" of racism/white supremacy.
This book is part history lesson, part polemic and part analysis. I was reminded of Carol Anderson's book "White Rage" (reviewed here), especially in the middle section. A lot of what Mary Trump writes about is not new, but she synthesizes and summarizes it in a powerful way. What is different and especially interesting is how she uses her skills as a clinical psychologist, as well as her personal experiences with trauma and PTSD (not to mention her unique insights into Donald Trump), to diagnose and comment on America's collective trauma as a nation -- particularly in the final chapter, "Facing the Truth," about the ongoing trauma of COVID-19 and what the future might hold. This chapter alone is probably worth the price of the book. I think I bookmarked every other page.
4.5 stars on Goodreads, rounded down to 4.
This was Book #42 read to date in 2021 (and Book #4 finished in August), bringing me to 117%! of my 2021 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 36 books. I have now completed my challenge for the year, and am (for the moment, anyway...!) 19 (!) books ahead of schedule. :) You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2021 tagged as "2021 books."
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