An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice

by Khizr Khan

'Khan's aspirational memoir reminds us all why Americans should welcome newcomers from all lands' Kirkus Reviews

In fewer than three hundred words, Khizr Khan electrified viewers around the world when he took the stage at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. And when he offered to lend Donald Trump his own much-read and dog-eared pocket Constitution, his gesture perfectly encapsulated the feelings of millions. But who was that man, standing beside his wife, extolling the promises and virtues of the U.S. Constitution?

In this urgent and timeless immigrant story, we learn that Khizr Khan has been many things. He was the oldest of ten children born to farmers in Pakistan, and a curious and thoughtful boy who listened rapt as his grandfather recited Rumi beneath the moonlight. He was a university student who read the Declaration of Independence and was awestruck by what might be possible in life. He was a hopeful suitor, trying to win the heart of a woman far out of his league. He was a brilliant and diligent young family man who worked two jobs to save enough money to put himself through Harvard Law School. He was a loving father who tragically lost his son, an Army captain killed while protecting his base camp in Iraq. He was and is a patriot, and a fierce advocate for the rights, dignities and values enshrined in the American system.

An American Family shows us who Khizr Khan and millions of other American immigrants are, and why-especially in these tumultuous times-we must not be afraid to step forward for what we believe in when it matters most.

• ISBN10: 1432845586
• ISBN13: 9781432845582
• Publish Date: 4 December 2018 (first published 24 October 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Large Print Press
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 301
• Language: English

Reviews

[Beth C.]

It can be...rough going...when reading a book by an unknown who just suddenly became a public figure. Can they really write, or is this just a knee-jerk response to what they feel is a necessity now? Thankfully, this is a very well-written book that was fascinating. The arc pretty much ends when Mr. Khan and his wife step onstage at the DNC convention - there is an afterward mentioned, but it wasn't included. The book is, rather than a focus on the convention or the aftermath, the story of how Khan and his wife grew up, what brought them to the United States, and why they became so passionate about the Constitution and the freedoms provided by it in our country. It's a fascinating story - and it's also, in a very mild-mannered way, a rebuke on where we currently find ourselves as a county, one whose principles and values are slowly being eaten away by those who are afraid of "other". I definitely recommend this book, and bravo to the Khans for stepping up and being brave enough to speak out. They are TRULY an American story.