My Beloved World

By: Sonia Sotomayor

Narrated by: Rita Moreno

Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Solo Narration - Female, 2014

Audie Award Finalist, Biography/Memoir, 2014

The first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an instant American icon. Now, with a candor and intimacy never undertaken by a sitting Justice, she recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey that offers an inspiring testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself.

Here is the story of a precarious childhood, with an alcoholic father (who would die when she was nine) and a devoted but overburdened mother, and of the refuge a little girl took from the turmoil at home with her passionately spirited paternal grandmother. But it was when she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes that the precocious Sonia recognized she must ultimately depend on herself. She would learn to give herself the insulin shots she needed to survive and soon imagined a path to a different life. With only television characters for her professional role models, and little understanding of what was involved, she determined to become a lawyer, a dream that would sustain her on an unlikely course, from valedictorian of her high school class to the highest honors at Princeton, Yale Law School, the New York County District Attorney’s office, private practice, and appointment to the Federal District Court before the age of 40. Along the way we see how she was shaped by her invaluable mentors, a failed marriage, and the modern version of extended family she has created from cherished friends and their children. Through her still-astonished eyes, America’s infinite possibilities are envisioned anew in this warm and honest book, destined to become a classic of self-invention and self-discovery.

©2013 Sonia Sotomayor (P)2013 Random House Audio

Outstanding!!

Narrator was excellent in reading this book for us, it was like being there watching her life unfold , I really,really enjoyed the whole story.

Great book

look into the life of Justice Sotomayor. Can relate to many of her images of areas where she grew up & went to school.

Inspirational and humble

If you could sum up My Beloved World in three words, what would they be?

Inspirational interesting, humble

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ms. Sotomayor is grounded. She attributes her success to hard work and the support and love of others.

Have you listened to any of Rita Moreno’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

For the whole of Moreno's performance I felt as if I were listening to Sotomayor herself.

Good.

I love the story and how well the author describes her life in NY and her relationship with family.
I didn't appreciate the narrator, Rita Moreno, pronounce "porto rico" instead of Puerto Rico.

A Remarkable Woman!

What an interesting life this Supreme Court justice has had! She was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes at age 8, her father died not long after, and she was raised along with a younger brother by her working mother. Both parents immigrated to New York from Puerto Rico and Sonia grew up surrounded by extended family. The audiobook is narrated by Rita Moreno.

Loves this book and story

I was riveted and hung on every word. I enjoyed hearing Justice Sotomayor’s life story and getting a feel for her character. I highly recommend this book.

So beautiful

I loved how it expressed Justice Sotomayor’s humanity and brilliance. It felt very intimate and provided such a beautiful description of who she is and what shaped her.

Sotomayor and Thomas contrasted

In listening to Sotomayor’s biography, I couldn’t help contrasting her world view with Clarence Thomas’s. Both Thomas (African American) and Sotomayor (Puerto Rican) were born into poverty, were intelligent, and benefited from affirmative action. Was it a loving family, a desire for intellectual growth over money, and an innate cup-runneth over disposition that made Sotomayor appreciate and make the most of the chances that came her way? Thomas, on the other hand, has lived a life of miserable resentment, believing his Yale degree was not worth the paper it was printed on because he didn’t immediately get the lucrative job offers that other classmates got? Yes, they both ended up on the court, but Thomas remains pinched and self-absorbed, while Sotomayor is expansive, generous, and has had a beautiful life. (See the Slow Burn podcast series on Clarence Thomas)

Intriguing

I truly enjoyed learning about her background (personal life as a child). Also how she got her start.

I highly recommend

Very personal, articulate, interesting memoir that is forthright and filled with personal insights. Only occasionally I felt that if Ms. Sotomayor had been narrating the emphasis might have been on different words / that Ms. Moreno's emphasis might communicate something slightly different from what Ms. Sotomayor intended, but mostly it didn't impact my enjoyment of the book. Such an interesting woman is Ms. Sotomayor and what a journey her life has been.