In many ways, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Promise is former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden's 2020 campaign book. Secondarily, though, the book chronicles the Biden families 2014, a year in which they lost their dear son Beau Biden to brain cancer, and a year in which Joe had to deal with crises in places like the Ukraine and Russia (among a number of other countries). It is truly the story of balance - the balancing act that Joe Biden must go through as he deals with his responsibilities as Vice President and his responsibilities as a father.
Upon release, Promise Me, Dad was met with widespread critical acclaim. Publisher's Weekly liked the book, saying that it was "heartfelt" and told with "genuine pathos" but not "uncalculated." Charles Kaiser of The Guardian felt similarly, writing that the book was "poignant." Vanity Fair offered up an even more glowing review, saying that “Promise Me, Dad is a brisk, often uplifting read, a consequence of its author’s congenital jollity and irrepressible candor.” Not only was Promise Me, Dad critically successful, it was also financially successfully. Very swiftly after release, it went to #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list, a truly astonishing accomplishment no doubt.
