My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir

The Supreme Court justice recounts his life story, from his impoverished childhood in Jim Crow-era Georgia and his struggles to acquire an education, to his publicly contested confirmation to the nation's highest court.

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LibraryThing member MatthewN

This is a story that needed to be told. Whether you agree with the positions taken by Judge Thomas on various court cases or not, there is no denying that he is living proof of the American dream. Within his lifetime, he went from a country that treated minorities in shameful ways to a country that

is accepting of all colors, creeds, etc. This book gives a decent overview of his early childhood in Savannah,Georgia and his relationship with his grandparents. That sets the stage for the later parts of the book in which chronicle his college years, his time in Missouri, and his remaining years in DC prior to his Supreme Court nomination. About the last quarter of the book is spent on his Supreme Court nomination and the confirmation process.

I appreciated hearing his side of the story when it came to the confirmation process. There is no word to describe what the media and the Senate did to Judge Thomas. I would suggest "shameful", but I don't think that's strong enough language.

He spends a fair amount of time discussing his problems with alcohol, his shortcomings when dealing with his promises to his Grandfather, and his abandonment of his first wife and son. It takes a lot of guts to admit one's shortcomings in a national platform like this book. I don't condone some of the things he did, but I get the feeling he doesn't either. He doesn't justify his behavior. He just kind of lays it out there and lets the reader decide. Did he need to include the things he said about leaving his wife and son? Of course not. He could give the same tired answer that many divorcees give when leaving their spouse: "We were just incompatible." I am not condoning what he did. I am just glad he had the guts to say it. Here's what he said on page 135 about leaving his wife and son: "I left my wife and child. It was the worst thing I've done in my life....I still live with the guilt, and always will."

There were two things I wished the book would have included. First, I wanted him to include some of his time on the Supreme Court. I wanted to know how he felt about being a Supreme Court justice. Was it everything he imagined it would be? Better? Worse? Second, I wished the book would have been a little bit longer. I wanted to know more about his college years when he was struggling with the notion of his ability to succeed in a country dominated by people of another race. I think he made some very interesting points that people need to consider, no matter their skin color. I wanted to hear so much more from him about this.

If stories like this interest you, I recommend the JC Watts book "What Color Is A Conservative?".

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LibraryThing member JustMe869

Two caveats

1. I am not a fan of Clarence Thomas. He has been on the wrong side of most decisions.

2. The Anita Hill debacle was an abomination. The Democrats could not defeat Thomas' nomination based on his record so they chose sleaze.

I have never before read an autobiography which diminished my

opinion of the author. My Grandfather's Son is 289 pages of Clarence Thomas whining about his poverty and how badly he has been treated. At the same time, Thomas provided so few personal details that I never felt like I came to know him. Somewhere there is a compelling story of a fatherless African American, raised in the deep south, who brought himself out of abject poverty to become a Supreme Court justice. It is ashamed that Clarence Thomas never managed to tell that story.

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LibraryThing member br77rino

A good accounting of Justice Thomas' upbringing by his grandparents, and of the Catholic schools he attended, sometimes as the only black.

LibraryThing member Voracious_Reader

First portion of the memoir provides lots of insight into Thomas' upbringing and the extraordinary difficulties, including poverty and lack of family stability he survived, and the freedom from those difficulties that religion, hard work, and education promised him. His gratitude to teachers and

family for requiring much of him is clear, as is his angst and anger during his college years and his regrets for his having held others in contempt during his black panther-supporting college years etc. The final portion of the book which concerns his Supreme Court confirmation hearings and the Anita Hill debacle lack the clarity that the earlier portions of the book have. I think that he's just still so angry and hurt by that process that he is unable to provide the same combination of objective and subjective analysis that make the other portions of the book successful.

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LibraryThing member Salsabrarian

After reading his story, I can understand now why he doesn't say much in the Supreme Court...he probably doesn't trust that his words won't be twisted to meet someone else's political agenda! His determination to work hard and succeed despite society's low expectations is an example for all.

LibraryThing member rbartholomew

I came away with a new respect for Clarence Thomas. I listened to the audio version and it was something special to hear the author read his work. Great stuff!

LibraryThing member cstebbins

Remarkably moving and honest. Refreshingly different from the usual political memoir.

LibraryThing member tuckerresearch

If Clarence Thomas were a political liberal, his story would be a movie, his name would be on elementary schools, and this book would be read in college courses. He would be considered an American hero. But, he is a political conservative and a faithful Catholic, so, that is not the case. For much

of America, he is a villain. For many conservatives, he is a paragon of right-thinking. His biography is gripping. Born dirt poor in coastal Georgia, his first language being Geechee (Gullah), his family life was a shambles, and prospects did not look good for a Black boy in the Jim Crow South. But, his maternal grandfather, whom he called "Daddy," took him in, sent him to private Catholic schools, gave him discipline, and set him on the course of his life. It's a story of grit, determination, and overcoming reminiscent of Ben Franklin's or Fred Douglass's, and a very touching memoir. My only regret is it ends with his taking his seat on the Court. The whole Anita Hill business? His side of the story makes sense to me, though I could see how and why others would not believe the story one bit. Maybe some things were done and said that were interpreted differently, and exploited later. But, a good memoir.

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LibraryThing member TheLibraryAnn

Raised by hard-working, honest people, Clarence Thomas is truly an honor to the memory of his grandparents.

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