The Soul of America by Jon Meacham

As our April book club read, this was a challenge!  The first 100 pages were grueling, as I pushed myself hard; but after that the purpose of the author was more clear and I found that I couldn't put it down.  Meacham's goal was to encourage hope in the citizens of America by reviewing some of our past presidents and the successes and failures they experienced.  He highlighted Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and LB Johnson.  These particular men made hard choices on equality during their terms of service, even if they personally weren't fully invested in the goal---But, because of their moral fiber and dedication to the country, they upheld certain issues they knew were best for America in the decades in which they served.  They had a higher calling than simply their own agendas.
As a highly knowledgable historian and author, particularly in the political realm, I found myself appreciating the stance that Meacham took on our current crisis of fear and disunity.  As he reviewed the ups and downs of our country's past; I was able to see that there were other disastrous choices made by other administrations and some horrendous years of disharmony between the parties.  Meacham gave me some hope that there will be future leaders who will hear the call to common sense, decency, unity, non-partisanship, and equality...and that we can ride the tide in uncertain times such as we now face.

"The past tells us that politics is an uneven symphony."
                                             ....Oliver Wendell Holmes