Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson

I am not sure why, but this is the first memoir or biography that I have read of a Supreme Court Justice--and it was a good place to start. I picked it up because it was on the New York Times Notable Books for 2024, and the author is the first African American woman on the court, and only the 5th woman to serve on the highest court. One review I read said that this chronicled her meteoric rise, but I would characterize it more as a clawing upwards against the odds. She is smart with equal parts tenacity and hard work to propel her forward. For those who are seeking something along the lines of her judicial opinions, there is none of the scathing writing or flashes of wit that she is known for as a judge. This is quite literally the story of her life, which includes both struggles and successes. She grew from a serious-minded little girl, eager to earn her parents’ approval, to a hardworking young woman determined to overcome every challenge. A self-proclaimed “risk-averse rule follower,” she describes herself as someone whose “nature was to seek harmony and cooperation wherever I happened to be.” The boldest thing she did was to marry her college sweetheart--someone from as different a background from her as it could be--he a white Bostonian who's family traces their roots to the Mayflower and she who arrived enslaved almost as long ago but under very different circumstances. It is a good read, but by no means earth shattering. Happy to have her in the siege defense as democracy is under attack.