Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America | Book Review

Phrases such as “required reading” can be overused, but Heather Cox Richardson’s newest book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America should be required reading for every American who wants to participate in our republic. It is an uncomfortable read as Richardson pulls no punches in detailing a troubling history of American politics, but it is a history we can no longer ignore.

If you are like me, you came to know HCR – as she is called by her followers – through her Facebook posts. She began writing “Letters from an American” essays on social media and a website to help connect what was happening during the final two years of the Trump administration to historical moments. She has repeatedly said she views her daily essays as “a chronicle of America for the graduate student in 150 years.”^[1]

Democracy Awakening goes beyond the daily headlines to weave a narrative of the consistent struggle our democracy has faced – and faces – from those who wanted – and want today – to move us toward authoritarianism. As she notes in the Foreword: “This is a book about how a small group of people have tried to make us believe that our fundamental principles aren’t true.”^[2]