Witty, revealing, and a testament to the human impulses every individual shares
Deeply personal and written in an inviting conversational tone, this memoir spans time and place. Much of the book’s setting is Claiborne County, a rural area where Tennessee borders Virginia and Kentucky.
Storytelling is the memoir’s heart. The initial chapter focuses on author J. David Lewis’s research about his grandparents, as what he knows about them stems mostly from what people have told him. After recognizing that his own son will grow up without at least one of his grandparents, he uncovers their stories of the Great Depression, land buyouts from TVA, and how much the landscape changed as the decades passed. This is not only one family’s heritage and foundation but also the mortar that keeps younger generations connected to past ones.
Hard work is another prominent theme. From farming to chores to eventually starting his own business, the author recounts the moments and the encounters that made him pause and consider the meaning of work. Certain encounters, like dealing with squatters living in an abandoned sharecropper house, serve as excellent entry points into understanding how the author navigated conflict and developed empathy for the impoverished. In these particular sections, the writing is heartfelt and compassionate, despite the situation’s confusion. This emotional blend fortifies these types of examples in A New True to Me and tugs at the audience’s moral core.
Education and self-awareness are attributes Lewis continually emphasizes. He identifies them as an “important part of becoming an educated adult” and acknowledges that learning one’s own skill set is imperative to one’s social development. Lewis shares intimate details about struggling with a reading disability, noting that reaching out to others for help is also what made him successful in life and in business. Such stories stress the importance of having a strong network of supporters throughout one’s life and career. While the descriptions are necessary and for the most part strong, at times they can become a bit tedious.
Historical events like Robert F. Kennedy’s assassinassion, John F. Kennedy’s assassination, as well as those of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. act as paramount turning points in the author’s recognition of his own adulthood and maturity. These historical events provide a needed timeline. Their incorporation provides important context for the audience. The author does not overly explain them, which makes their incorporation effective since the author focuses on his own response and awareness about these events rather than rehashing common knowledge about them.
A relatable moment is when the author compares his experience of questioning his past beliefs as a young man to feeling a similar grief in 2025 while observing senseless killings. The question, “When will this end?” rises, showing that history’s cycles will inevitably repeat until both people and governments take responsibility and make more of an effort to change. This skillfully unites the author’s responses with current events, making the text relevant. These responses are successful because of their honesty and their vulnerability, which makes them equally accessible and thought-provoking.
A New True to Me is a fervent examination of one man’s foundations and how individuals, experiences, and opportunities all helped shape those foundations. It is an inspiring, positive, and optimistic read that delivers hope for a better tomorrow not only for those who read it but for the world beyond its grasp.
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