HEATHER COX RICHARDSON: DEMOCRACY AWAKENING
Join us as we welcome HEATHER COX RICHARDSON on SATURDAY, APRIL 6 at 2:00 pm to discuss and sign her book DEMOCRACY AWAKENING: NOTES ON THE STATE OF AMERICA
**Line tickets are required to meet the author and are free with the purchase of DEMOCRACY AWAKENING from Novel, available now.**
Line tickets will have a Group Letter on them. After the author has finished speaking, we will line up Groups A and B. If you have a line ticket with Group C or later, feel free to browse the store while you wait for your letter to be called.
**Can’t attend an event? Don’t miss out on signed copies! You can order autographed books for any of our in-person author events by clicking the “Add to Cart” button below and leaving your personalization instructions in the comments at checkout! Your books will be signed and ready for pickup or shipping the day after the event.**
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A vital and urgent call to action about the precarious state of American democracy, charting its historical challenges and current threats, from one of our era’s most important and insightful historians.
“Magisterial.” -The Washington Post
“An excellent primer for anyone who needs the important facts of the last 150 years of American history-and how they got us to the sorry place we inhabit today.” -Guardian
At a time when the very foundations of democracy seem under threat, the lessons of the past offer a roadmap for navigating a moment of political crisis. In Democracy Awakening, acclaimed historian Heather Cox Richardson delves into the tumultuous journey of American democracy, revealing how the roots of Donald Trump’s “authoritarian experiment” can be traced back through the earliest days of the republic. She examines the historical forces that have led to the current political climate, showing how modern conservatism has preyed upon a disaffected population, weaponizing language and promoting false history to consolidate power.
With remarkable clarity and the same accessible voice that brings millions of readers to her newsletter, Letters from an American, Richardson wrangles a chaotic news feed into a coherent story that singles out what we should pay attention to and what possible paths lie ahead. Her command of history and trademark plainspoken prose allow her to pivot effortlessly from the Founders to the abolitionists to Reconstruction to Nixon to the January 6 insurrection, highlighting the political legacies of the New Deal, the lingering fears of socialism, the death of the liberal consensus, and the birth of “movement conservatism.”
An essential read for anyone concerned about the state of America, Democracy Awakening is more than a history book; it’s a call to action. Richardson reminds us that democracy is not a static institution but a living, evolving process that requires constant vigilance and participation from all of us. This powerful testament to the resilience of democratic ideals shows how we, as a nation, can take the lessons of the past to address today’s challenges and secure a more just and equitable future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of history at Boston College and an expert on American political and economic history. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning How the South Won the Civil War. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Guardian, among other outlets. Her widely read newsletter, Letters from an American, synthesizes history and modern political issues.