First published 2024
Nicholas Kristof traces his journey from an Oregon farm to the front lines of global journalism. The Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times columnist reveals how he covered pivotal moments including the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Darfur genocide, and the Yemeni civil war. Working as a reporter, foreign correspondent, and bureau chief since 1984, Kristof operated from Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo while traveling to India, Africa, and Europe. He exposes the personal costs of confronting human rights abuses, knowing such stories attract fewer readers than political coverage. The memoir introduces remarkable figures he encountered, from a Chinese dissident he helped escape to a Catholic nun who forced a warlord to free kidnapped schoolgirls. Kristof admits his mistakes while exploring the tension between witnessing humanity's worst impulses and finding reasons for hope. He details the risks he accepted to document oppression and the colleagues who shaped his approach to truth-telling.
Genres: history, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, journalism, current-affairs
Vibes: inspiring, intimate, reflective, sobering, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family, personal-journey
Setting: Oregon, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, India, Africa, Europe, China, Tiananmen Square, Darfur, Yemen
Period: 21st-century, 1984-present
480 pages · Paperback · Vintage
Content warnings: abuse, death, violence