{"id":7390,"date":"2026-09-28T11:42:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T11:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=7390"},"modified":"2026-09-28T11:42:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T11:42:00","slug":"a-new-true-to-me-by-j-david-lewis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=7390","title":{"rendered":"A New True to Me by J. David Lewis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Witty, revealing, and a testament to the human impulses every individual shares<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Deeply personal and written in an inviting conversational tone, this memoir spans time and place. Much of the book\u2019s setting is Claiborne County, a rural area where Tennessee borders Virginia and Kentucky.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Storytelling is the memoir\u2019s heart. The initial chapter focuses on author J. David Lewis\u2019s 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\u2019s heritage and foundation but also the mortar that keeps younger generations connected to past ones.<\/p>\n

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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\u2019s confusion. This emotional blend fortifies these types of examples in A New True to Me<\/em> and tugs at the audience\u2019s moral core.<\/p>\n

Education and self-awareness are attributes Lewis continually emphasizes. He identifies them as an \u201cimportant part of becoming an educated adult\u201d<\/em><\/strong> and acknowledges that learning one\u2019s own skill set is imperative to one\u2019s 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\u2019s life and career. While the descriptions are necessary and for the most part strong, at times they can become a bit tedious.<\/p>\n

Historical events like Robert F. Kennedy\u2019s assassinassion, John F. Kennedy\u2019s assassination, as well as those of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. act as paramount turning points in the author\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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, \u201cWhen will this end?\u201d<\/em><\/strong> rises, showing that history\u2019s cycles will inevitably repeat until both people and governments take responsibility and make more of an effort to change. This skillfully unites the author\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

A New True to Me<\/em> is a fervent examination of one man\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

The post A New True to Me by J. David Lewis<\/a> appeared first on Independent Book Review<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s setting is Claiborne County, a rural area where Tennessee borders Virginia and Kentucky.\u00a0 Storytelling is the memoir\u2019s heart. The initial chapter focuses on author […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7390"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7390\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}