Book Club: Sunny Hostin’s “I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds”

Blog Post by Michelle New

Sunny Hostin’s memoir, I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds, details the story of her life as an African American and Puerto Rican woman in America. This is a great read for young women because aspects of Sunny’s life are universally relatable and she introduces a wide variety of career paths. The divorce of her parents is something that I resonated with along with her experience attending an all-girls catholic high school and being far from the wealthiest student there. Sunny also moves through the professional world and describes her many jobs in restaurants, college radio, courtrooms, and newsrooms.

One of the main themes in I Am These Truths is the concept of multiple identities and “having to straddle multiple worlds,” (p. 20). Sunny’s many identities give her the capability to relate to a lot of different groups and find ways to fit in. Even though it can be a cause of struggle at some points in her life, due to instances of discrimination, it has made her who she is today and she has learned over time to embrace all of her identities. Similarly, Sunny’s perseverance and determination throughout her life are inspiring, especially the mantra she gained from her father:

“Never be ashamed to seize hold of an opportunity.”

Sunny offers a lot of advice, both directly and indirectly through her life experiences, that can apply to all women. An example of this is Sunny’s revelation that authenticity and uniqueness are key to thriving in the world of television. Living life as my authentic self is something that I have taken away from this book as well as embracing my strengths both professionally and personally.