Book Review - 107 Days by Kamala Harris

Title: 107 Days
Author: Kamala Harris
Genre: Non-Fiction/ Memoir
Published: 2023
 
Description: For the first time, and with surprising and revealing insights, Kamala Harris tells the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history.
 
Review: In “107 Days”, former Vice President Kamala Harris offers an unprecedentedly candid look at the shortest and most turbulent presidential campaign in modern American history. The book covers the intense period from July 21^st 2024, the day Joe Biden withdrew, to Election Day on November 5^th 2024.
 
Harris has crafted a narrative that reads like a political thriller. She describes the chaos of the first 24 hours, during which she frantically called Democratic leaders to secure her nomination. But also describes her somber 60^th birthday, just 16 days before the election, where exhaustion led to a heated argument with her husband Doug. Moments like these humanize a politician who has often been labeled as reserved.
 
Harris does not shy away from confrontation in this book. She is surprisingly candid about the tension within the White House. She reflects on her loyalty on to Joe Biden, but insinuates that this loyalty was not always reciprocated by his staff. She expresses her frustration about moments when the president unintentionally thwarted her campaign, such as the incident where he wore a Maga cap. She is critical of Trump, but also of Joe Biden.
 
While Harris acknowledges some strategic mistakes, such as her much discussed interview on The View, she remains fiercely defensive about her broader vision for the country.
 
“107 Days” is an essential historical document. It captures the spirit of divided America and the enormous pressure of a national campaign in record time. For anyone who wants to understand what it feels like to be in the eye of a political storm, this book is highly recommended. Adding to the fact that Kamala Harris is a black woman, who supports reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, climate change action and gun safety, my respect for her standing her ground in a male dominated world grew further while reading this book. Kamala Harris is a truly inspiring woman, even if she didn’t win the election. It was an impossible task within the 107 days she had.
 
Rating: 4/ 5