Promise Me, Dad – Book Review of Joe Biden’s Book.

Losing a child is every parent’s nightmare. In his book, Promise Me, Dad, Joe Biden recounts the last year of Beau Biden’s life. I chose the audiobook, and I’m so glad I did. Joe Biden narrated the book himself. As I listened, It ripped me from my world into the joy, desperation, and sense of duty felt by every member of the Biden family. Having lost more than one family member to cancer, I share Mr. Biden’s passion for finding a cure for this horrible disease.

You can find more information about the Beau Biden Foundation Here.

About the Book

A profoundly moving memoir about the year that would forever change both a family and a country.

In November 2014, 13 members of the Biden family gathered on Nantucket for Thanksgiving, a tradition they had celebrated for the past 40 years; it was the one constant in what had become a hectic, scrutinized, and over-scheduled life. The Thanksgiving holiday was a much-needed respite, a time to connect, a time to reflect on what the year had brought and what the future might hold. But this year felt different from all those that had come before.

Joe and Jill Biden’s eldest son, Beau, had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor 15 months earlier, and his survival was uncertain. “Promise me, Dad,” Beau had told his father. “Give me your word that no matter what happens, you’re going to be all right.” Joe Biden gave him his word.

A heart-breaking year for Joe Biden and his family

Promise Me, Dad chronicles the year that followed, which would be the most momentous and challenging in Joe Biden’s extraordinary life and career. Vice President Biden traveled more than a hundred thousand miles that year, across the world, dealing with crises in Ukraine, Central America, and Iraq. When a call came from New York, or Capitol Hill, or Kyiv, or Baghdad – “Joe, I need your help” – he responded.

For 12 months, while Beau fought for and then lost his life, the vice president balanced the twin imperatives of living up to his responsibilities to his country and his duties to his family. And never far away, was the persistent and urgent question of whether he should seek the presidency in 2016. The year brought real triumph and accomplishment, and wrenching pain.

But even in the worst times, Biden was able to lean on the strength of his long, deep bonds with his family, on his faith, and on his deepening friendship with the man in the Oval Office, Barack Obama.

Family & Friendships

Writing with poignancy and immediacy, Joe Biden allows listeners to feel the urgency of each moment, to experience the days when he felt unable to move forward as well as the days when he felt like he could not afford to stop. Promise Me, Dad is a book written not just by the Vice President but by a father, grandfather, friend, and husband. Promise Me, Dad is a story of how family and friendships sustain us and how hope, purpose, and action can guide us through the pain of personal loss into the light of a new future.

Note: this Audible Exclusive includes a powerful interview – only available here – between Joe Biden and award-winning journalist, Mike Barnicle. Their discussion contextualizes the memoir’s wide-ranging themes, while also touching upon the presidential election, current events, and what it means to grapple with profound grief.

Tickets for Vice President Biden’s American Promise Tour are on sale now. For more details visit JoeBidenBook.com.

How many of us have dared to close our eyes for even a moment when the life of a child teeters between life and death? I remember the moments when it felt like faith and hope were merely an evil illusion dangling just out of reach. A child, a son, is such a precious gift. And yet, like Joe Biden’s life in 2015, the doctors gave my son no hope. It’s when we look into the eyes of our children that we discover our responsibilities. They don’t only expect; they demand our faith to be unwavering.

Promise Me, Dad is a memoir of the last year of Beau Biden’s life in the words of his father, Vice-President Joe Biden. It melds together the responsibilities of the second highest office in the land and the responsibilities of a father.

The Challenges

How can a man even function under the family responsibilities and grief of participating in a journey no one ever wants to take?

I chose the Audible version of the book because I wanted to hear it in the Vice-President’s voice. The emotion and strength in that voice should cause everyone who listens to reconsider their approach to life and duty. The dignity and respect Joe Biden showed to everyone he met is a testament to true honor and leadership.

This story is the embodiment of everything I hold dear: Honesty – Integrity – Love – Faith – Family – Country – Compassion – Duty