I saw My Country, ‘Tis of Thee: My Faith, My Family, Our Future by Keith Ellison on Netgalley and it sounded interesting so I thought I would give it a try. I’m glad I did. I think it was not only fascinating but is an important book. It is certainly important that Americans (and those who want to learn about Americans) read this book.

Unfortunately the people who would probably benefit most are unlikely to give it a try. If they even hear of it, it may be some distorted version in one of those crazy emails you often see about politicians or political events. Give the book a chance. If you are unsure read several reviews or comments to get several perspectives on it..

I read an advance reading copy on my Kindle. Since the number of people who have read this book is probably fairly small now, there are relatively few reviews online now but those I have seen are favorable. If you are interested there is a link to Amazon here and reviews are often posted there. Or you could just try an internet search (hint: you can easy copy the title and author from here – My Country, ‘Tis of Thee: My Faith, My Family, Our Future by Keith Ellison).

Keith Ellison is a Congressman from Minnesota. He is also Black. He is also Muslim. He is also patriotic. He is also a lawyer. He is also from Detroit. He is also progressive in his politics.

Even though the US Constitution says “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States” there are probably quite a few Americans who are surprised to see “Congressman” and “Muslim” apply to the same person.

For others it might be the combinations of patriotic and lawyer or even patriotic and Congressman. But in short, Representative Ellison is a complicated person with a combination of traits and most of us are the same type of mix.

My Country, ‘Tis of Thee is autobiographic in which he describes his family background, growing up in Detroit, how he came to his Muslim faith, his progressive beliefs, and his career as a lawyer, state legislator, and Congressman. But beyond the autobiography details, you’ll find a very good explanation of how he came to his faith and how he sees it relating to his political beliefs.

I was particularly interested in his discussion of the difference between Islam (and Muslims who happen to be Black) and the Nation of Islam (which is often the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Black Muslims). I was less excited about the parts about his family and his younger years but that is important to understanding the man. I also liked the parts about his life as a Congressman and his discussions of various leaders.

Some of his views on diplomacy, immigration, race relations and many other issues might make you re-think your opinions. . His perspective his probably very different from most readers and his reasoning is persuasive You may or may not agree with him but it is hard to ignore his thoughts on the issues.

I enjoyed this book. I think it is an important book. Read it. You’ll be glad you did.