I am now a fan of Asunción! Her story was so relatable and honest. I don’t watch television or know her shows. Apparently she’s a lawyer, tv personality, and journalist. She talks a lot about being Afro Latina, colorism, and her fight for social justice for people of color. I loved this book so much I think I am in love with her! I think is so important to hear her story during National Hispanic Heritage Month but especially at a time when Black women are so under valued in this country. And not to mention she is a phenomenal woman who has accomplished a lot!

I love Sunny, first and foremost. This was an interesting read and I really appreciated how much she opened up on her struggles balancing being black and Latina and not one or the other.

Read on audible. 3.5 stars. A really solid memoir and great audiobook. Clearly was on a View inspired reading kick.

I am a fan of Asunción (Sunny) Hostin. I've watched her mostly on The View but vaguely remember her from CNN. This memoir was unexpected, well I'm not sure what I expected, but it felt honest and vulnerable. I enjoyed hearing her story of navigating a career in television, her identity, and the challenges along the way.

I listened to this one and was not disappointed. Being able to hear these stories in Sunny's voice was incredible. She doesn't hold back and her story is extremely raw and honest. I was especially touched by the chapter on motherhood and had no idea how much she went through to bring her children into the world.

I think many women, but especially women of color, will find her story very relatable in many ways. Though I am not biracial, I can relate to not feeling at home at work, at school or even in my own neighborhood and having to bury certain parts of myself to be accepted. Sunny has reached the point in her life where she is authentically herself, with no apologies, and I hope I'm on that path too. An easy five stars.

I won a free copy of this book during BookCon thanks to HarperOne in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

In this memoir we follow Hostin’s life from growing up in the South Bronx in poverty to her journey to law school and into her career as a legal journalist. She was one of the first to report on Trayvon Martin’s death. We follow the case, how it impacted her, and how she came to use her platform to speak out for equality and justice. She touched on the adversity she’s had to overcome–both personally and professionally.

This book was really interesting. Honestly, I hadn’t heard much about Hostin so it was fascinating to read about all of the things that she’s done and accomplished. It was a little eye-opening—where have I been the last 2 decades!? I’m ashamed to admit I don’t remember hearing of her. Reading about her life’s journey was inspiring. I really appreciate that she took her life experiences and used them to help connect with people during her career. I love that she is using her position of influence to stand up for equality and justice for minorities.

Not only does she share her professional life, she shared her personal life as well. We learned how hard her parents worked so that she could have a better future, a work ethic she inherited. Even when she was a lawyer or on TV, she constantly worked to make sure she got things perfect. We learned about her family’s traditions and beliefs. We were privy to her struggles with fertility. She shared the indignities she often suffered from others for various things, including her race and her talent.

Overall I recommend this book. I think this memoir is one that is timely and Hostin’s story is important.

I make no secret of the fact that I low-key love The View and all of its infamous pandemonium; I also like the concept of people with different viewpoints dissecting the headlines at one table. Considering how polarizing politics can be, I really enjoy this setup; even if I do not always agree with the direction or outcomes of conversations, I can generally appreciate that they at least happen.

And in this mix, we have my absolute favorite co-host, Sunny Hostin, a former-prosecutor turned ABC legal correspondent. She is typically the one voice of reason who will always fact-check the others and keep the conversations intellectually honest; she is essentially the legitimizing presence of the crew now that Barbara Walters is retired. She also has pet chickens, which considering everything else is just brilliant. When she came out with her book, [b:I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds|49629805|I Am These Truths A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds|Sunny Hostin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597105415l/49629805._SY75_.jpg|68659540], I couldn't not pick up a copy.

Her life growing up in different parts of Manhattan and the Bronx were incredibly relatable, especially as my own friends and family are from some of these areas. More so, her experiences growing up as a bi-racial Puerto Rican African American are incredibly relatable for anyone with hyphenated heritage. People never quite know how to categorize her, and society’s tendency to box people in as one thing is a very real nuisance.

There was one account that I found the most relatable. This was when Sunny went out for some innocent day-drinking (aka: “lunch”) with the journalist Don Lemon, The View’s executive producer Candi, and her fellow co-host Ana Navarro. Candi, a black woman, admits that she struggled to accept Sunny as a fellow black woman, and Ana, a Latina, also admits that she struggled to see Sunny as a fellow Latina. And Sunny is just sitting there trying to take it all in, but mostly just drink in peace, and it’s as hilarious as it is depressing. Only the gay and black Don Lemmon seems to be able to understand her discomfort of existing between two worlds.

Now this struck a cord, because similar incident has happened to me (and I suspect most biracial folks). Once, when I was at an English-speaking pub in Japan, my perceived racial identity actually caused a similar awkward argument. Me and a group of friends were talking about social politics, and the topic of my ethnicity somehow came up. I am a Peruvian-Italian-American and racially identify as a Latina (or a mestiza) because I simply was not treated like a “white” person, or even knew that was an identity option for me until I got to college. I would never deny my white or light skinned privilege, but I was especially determined to have my identity respected because I had just flown to Peru a couple months prior for my abuelo’s funeral (which is not a fun trip from Japan; those 48 hours of travel were the most brutal of my entire life).

Now unlike Sunny, my one friend of color kept insisting I was Latina, and my white friends kept insisting I was white. A part of me wanted to be flattered that at least they were each somewhat trying to include me in their own perceived racial in-groups, but mostly I just remember being so annoyed no one would actually listen to me. It was so ridiculous; I left to get a drink at the bar, came back to our table ten minutes later, and they were still arguing about "what" I was. So, when Sunny vents about her frustration about this type of absurdity, and never really feeling like she belongs, I cannot help but shout, “Amen!” In her own words:

“Still, when I encounter such sentiments from blacks and Latinos alike, even from friends, I feel odd. I believe people with mixed ancestry are the embodiment of the American dream, reflecting the tapestry that has enriched this country. My mingled bloodlines should make boundaries and borders disappear. But too often my very existence makes people uncomfortable… What do you do when your authentic self is dissected and debated by others who want to deny the dualities that have always made up this country?”

Sunny also does not shy away from how her lighter skin has allotted her privileges that she would not have had otherwise. Colorism is an interesting exploration, especially from her perspective. She is ever aware of social boundaries and power structures, so even though I would not characterize her as a “leftist” as the media likes to think, Sunny’s legal analyses are always rooted in this fundamental life outlook, and as a result, on The View panel she offers some truly nuanced, occasionally progressive, views.

One of my favorite segments she covered on The View was on the college admission bribery scandal that hit in 2019. Wealthy parents had paid thousands to have their children admitted to prestigious universities, and people were understandably pissed off. Sunny famously asked, “How mediocre do you have to be to game a system that is already disproportionately in your favor?” That really annoyed the conservative panelists with famous fathers, but rang so true to so many from working class backgrounds.

Overall, my only complaint about this book would be that each of her accounts do feel a bit overly curated at times, but I still feel a genuine openness shines through. There is a lot that was interesting about her time working in the media, and plenty of “tea” for anyone interested in that sort of material. Overall, this was a fun read, and I definitely recommend it if you are a fan.