love & courage — Jagmeet Singh
BOOK OF THE WEEK • ”People may have caused me pain, but people have healed me as well.”
An election that no one asked for has been called! So watch this space for some essential election reads — starting with this easy-to-read memoir from Jagmeet Singh, the Leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party.
When this was published in 2019 I remember critics took issue with the fact that it doesn’t explicitly discuss policy or why Jagmeet wants to be Prime Minister. I feel like these takes really didn’t get the vibe of the memoir which deliberately focuses on Jagmeet’s childhood and youth.
I really enjoyed the fact that most of the experiences he chooses to share are specific to life as the eldest sibling in a Punjabi family. Like Jagmeet, I’ve felt the pressure of parenting my youngest sibling, building an unconventional career, and helping my parents navigate a healthcare system built for white people. It was really something to get insight into how he came to terms with growing up too early and learned to take care of his own needs too. Gave me a lot to think about.
This is exactly the kind of read we need from our political leaders — especially in the age of of mis/disinformation and skepticism. We need memoirs that bare souls, admit mistakes, and feel conversational. We need stories that tackle topics that are usually met with avoidance in our community (alcoholism, sexual abuse, etc.) and explore the moral principles of the people we are choosing to send to Parliament. Visionary policy decisions are inextricably linked to “soft” philosophical concepts like love and courage, Jack Layton knew this and so does Jagmeet.
Definitely pick this one up before you cast your ballot — especially if you don’t typically read politicians’ memoirs.