Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose

A heartfelt true life store about hooe and dispair from the man who would ascend to the highest office in the land.

Joe Biden’s book PROMISE ME, DAD is not like any memoir I have ever read by another politician. It is raw, extremely personal and very honest. He writes so movingly about what has to be every parent’s worst nightmare: the death of a child. And as we all know, if we know anything about Mr. Biden, this is the second child he has lost: he lost a young daughter years ago along with his first wife in a tragic automobile accident. His book covers the last year of his oldest and beloved son’s life and his valiant fight with a deadly malignant kind of brain tumor.Mr. Biden’s book is almost a treatise on grief or how to deal with the death of a child or the loss of anyone: the putting on a good, composed face to meet the world while weeping in private; the keeping up with a daily routine, going to work, putting one foot in front of the other; the dependence on and drawing strength from family members and friends. And he says that he knows from “previous experience that grief is a process that respects no schedule and no timetable.” (The divine Miss Emily Dickinson would say that “sorrow has its own season.” Then Mr. Biden confirms what those of us who have waded through our own pools of grief know all too well: “I knew also, from hard-earned experience, that the second year is in some ways the hardest. The shock is over, as is the strangeness of living through all the first holidays and anniversaries and birthdays, and the undeniable permanence of the loss begins to settle in.” And the ultimate, sad truth as this good man writes so poignantly: “But I have come to understand that nobody can really take away all the pain, no matter how close. There are times when each of us must bear the burden of loss alone, and in his or her own way.”I was much moved with the Vice President’s comments about his relationship—friendship is a better word—with President Obama. They continued to have their weekly lunches during the time of his son’s illness. “Barack was the first person outside my family to know of Beau’s illness,” Mr. Biden writes. And he tells of the President’s offer of money if the family needed it. “’I’ll give you the money. You can pay me back whenever.’” In one luncheon with the President when Mr. Biden relates to him the difficulties that his son has been having, he recalls that he was hurting and the President obviously could see it: “I looked up and Barack was in tears.”Mr. Biden comes through on every page as the most decent of people. One such instance: he recounts giving a eulogy for one of the two ambushed police officers African American Rafael Ramos in New York in December, 2014. After the service he and his wife Jill visit the home of the parents of the slain Chinese American officer Wenjian Liu. Before he leaves, Mr. Biden gives his personal private phone number to the police officer’s father and encourages him to call him when he wants to talk.Mr. Biden also writes of what he continues doing in his job as vice president, the international trips he takes and his toying with running for president. But in the end, this compelling, beautiful book is a tribute to his loving wonderful son. As he remembers as Beau is slipping away: “I knew that I was loved.”Such a fine book.

I am writing this review during strange circumstances. The 2020 elections already took place on Tuesday this week, and as of Saturday the news outlets are still hesitant to declare Joe Biden the winner, although the probability that he does not win is close to zero. The informal institutions in the United States are broken. There will be no concession from President Trump, nor a gracious transition of power. The strength of formal institutions will be tested in the forthcoming days.In the midst of this polarized atmosphere, I read Biden’s book. This is his personal account of the last days of this son Beau Biden while Joe Biden was Vice-president of the United States. The book is well written and it is consistent with the Joe Biden one knows from speeches and interviews. “You get what you see”. Biden tells his story, the story of a family man who lost his first wife and his daughter in a car accident and who found grace, hope and purpose in his faith. This newfound purpose in life was later tested with the passing of this older son Beau after fighting an aggressive glioblastoma.The book is about family and it is about politics. But these two are not treated as different subjects. “Politics is personal” is a recurrent quote of Biden. This is a story of how politics run in a family in such…. just now, CNN announced Biden as the next president of the United States!Ok, back to my review after more than a few hours of uninterrupted consumption of news.The book intertwines the experience of Joe Biden as a father during the diagnostic, treatment and death of his son Beau Biden while carrying forward with the duties of the office of Vice-president of the United States. It is not an autobiography that traces the arch from his early beginnings until his election as President as an inevitable tour de force. On the contrary, it is a pause to reflect on this particular period of time that tested the faith and character of the Biden family.I learned from this book the utmost importance of professional politics and how this enterprise is a lifetime project that involves an entire family. I learned how values do shape politics and ultimately, rather than changing a person’s character, a political platform highlights personal attributes for better or worse. More importantly, I learned about the role of hope and purpose to overcome the darkest shadows in our paths.

J'ai trouvé ce livre très personnel pour un homme politique de cette stature.Ce livre est bien écrit (anglais américain).Il montre aussi le travail de Président Biden au quotidien (et c'est peut-être la partie la moins intéressante, c'est pour dire !).

Vividly it tells the story of the family and the hard time shared by them.Encourage all.

I don't think there could have been a better time to read this book than immediately following Joe Biden's election victory. After nearly four years of the most erratic and mendacious presidency in US history, it was comforting to digest a narrative steeped in strong family values, care for others and policy considerations which are clearly founded in strategic logic and truth. Regardless of any political and policy differences readers may have with Joe Biden, one couldn't fail to welcome the feeling of normality that oozes off every page and the belief that stability and humanity will soon return to the White House.The book blends Biden's comprehensive and agonising account of how his son, Beau, succumbed to the tragedy of a brain tumour with his efforts, as Vice-President, to resolve major foreign policy challenges, particularly in Iraq, Ukraine and Central America. This is, therefore, an unusual book but the author's approach worked for me. Although the sadness of the story is heart breaking, Biden's loving relationship with his son and family is inspiring. I felt privileged to be allowed into Joe Biden's grieving process as well as gaining an insight into how he applies his considerable political experience to resolve complex issues.

If you know Joe Biden as a politician, than you most assuredly must get to know him as a Dad (and husband). While written with a strong political narrative, Promise Me, Dad, is really so much more; digging deep to expose the soul of this man who loves his family beyond all else. The death of his son, Bo, slammed the brakes on what would have most likely been a successful bud for the U-S Presidency (my, I-am-sure-not-alone, opinion) and tested his faith and resolve in the most trying of ways. But that tragic event also demonstrated how the strongest of family bonds can lift and sustain us even when life seems totally unbearable.Learn about this man of remarkable character who not only loves his family, but who has an unfathomable depth of caring for the United States and its status and stature on the world stage. As a Canadian, I hope someone of his ilk (perhaps him?) will rise and rescue my Southern neighbour and friend from its current darkness.This book is an inspiring read and I highly recommend it to all world citizens.

This book is an incredible read, honest and personal, for everyone interested in politics. But even more so for everyone who has lost loved ones.I'm not American, I'm Austrian. But still, last year, after I had read "Promise me, Dad" I felt the need to write a thank you letter to Mr. Biden.So here is not only my first book review on Amazon, but below also my first letter to an American politician.Dear Mr. BidenI guess you receive countless E-mails with thank you notes every day. But I suppose not that many are from Austria.And even though I don’t expect you will be reading them in person, after I have read your book „Promise me, Dad“ I still feel the need to write you some words.I don’t remember any other book that has had such a profound impact on me and provided me with comfort in difficult times. Still mourning the loss of my mother, you sharing your personal experience and thereby giving strength and hope to other people is a tremendous gift.I’d only wish that your book would also be published in German (and other languages), so that even more people, including my father, could read it. Therefore, I would be very thankful if your publisher would consider translating it.And of course, I want to thank you for your outstanding service in politics: Your service as Vice President, but also your long-time service as Senator, especially in the Senate ‘s Foreign Relations Committee and now your work in the Biden Cancer Initiative and the Biden Foundation.As a proud member of the Austro-American-Society I have delved into American history, admired political heroes of the past, from Washington, Lincoln, Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt and Kennedy. I was exited when you and President Obama took office. And more than ever, I miss the days when you both lead the country.Time and time again I have also been frustrated, that many in Europe and in my home country of Austria don’t really appreciate what Americans have sacrificed and accomplished for freedom and democracy worldwide, and especially what we here in Europe and in Austria have to be thankful for.Of course, the current US administration makes it hard to look with admiration to Washington. But when I watched your eulogy for Senator McCain, also a hero of mine, I was once again reminded what it means to be American and what American ideals stand for. And I have been reassured that as long as there are Americans like you, the United States truly are the world's last best hope, the beacon of the world.And so even though I live far away, in the mountainous region of Austria, I still hope that one day I’ll have the opportunity to contribute in some way to your cause, to the American cause. Like President Kennedy said: Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.After I have read your book I have tremendous respect for your difficult decision not to run for the presidency. And you certainly have already done more to serve your country than anyone could ever ask for.But just in case that there is still the slightest chance that you would consider running again, I wanted to let you know that not only many people in the United States would celebrate your candidacy, but even some guy far away in a small city of Villach somewhere in Austria.SincerelyChristoph