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Book cover of "Grace" by Cody Keenan, showing President Obama speaking in the Oval Office with a portrait in the background, and a man seated with his back to the camera. The cover features quote quotes praising the book and mentions its focus on President Obama and the days surrounding his presidency.

A New York Times Bestseller and spellbinding account of the ten most dramatic days of the Obama presidency, when a hate-fueled massacre and looming Supreme Court decisions put the character of our country on the line, and a president’s words could bring the nation together or tear it apart.

A white supremacist shooting and an astonishing act of forgiveness. A national reckoning with race and the Confederate flag. The fate of marriage equality and the Affordable Care Act. GRACE is the propulsive story of ten days in June 2015, when Obama and his chief speechwriter Cody Keenan composed a series of high-stakes speeches to meet a succession of stunning developments.

Through behind-the-scenes moments—from Obama’s suggestion that Keenan pour a drink, listen to some Miles Davis, and “find the silences,” to the president’s late-night writing sessions in the First Family’s residence—Keenan takes us inside the craft of speechwriting at the highest level for the most demanding of bosses, the relentlessly poetic and perfectionist Barack Obama. GRACE also delivers a fascinating portrait of White House insiders like Ben Rhodes, Valerie Jarrett, Jen Psaki, and the speechwriting team responsible for pulling it all off during a furious, historic stretch of the Obama presidency—including a gifted fact-checker who relentlessly took Keenan’s rhetoric to task before taking his hand in marriage. GRACE is the most intimate writing that exists on the rhetorical tightrope our first Black president had to walk, culminating with an unforgettable high point: Obama stunning everybody by taking a deep breath and leading the country in a chorus of “Amazing Grace.”

Read an excerpt of GRACE in Vanity Fair

Poster listing four books nominated for the 54th NAACP Image Awards in the Outstanding Literary Work - Non-Fiction category, with titles and authors: 'Finding Me' by Viola Davis, 'Grace' by Cody Keenan, 'Requiem for the Massacre' by RJ Young, 'Under the Skin' by Linda Villarosa, and 'Who's Black and Why?' edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Andrew S. Curran.

What They’re Saying:

"At a time when the meaning of America is up for grabs, Cody Keenan’s new book chronicles ten days that tested us and ultimately showed us at our best. It’s a captivating story about what’s worth fighting for, an antidote to cynicism that will make you believe again."

— President Barack Obama
“An absorbing book debut with an insider’s view of the pressured, often ‘fucking terrifying’ workings within the White House…a moving portrait of a presidency and its top speechwriter.” (Starred Review)

— Kirkus (Starred Review)
"A refreshing departure from the flood of scandalous ‘literary’ flotsam that typically washes up in the wake of the transfer of power…Like the president he served, Keenan tells his story with conviction, compassion—and amazing grace.”

— Washington Monthly
“Powerful…a fascinating backstage pass…no matter your political persuasion, Grace is a generous, lively, and worthwhile read.” (Starred Review)

— Bookpage (Starred Review)
“A compelling memoir…[Keenan] offers a candid slice of life in a West Wing characterized by camaraderie, integrity, and hard work.”

— Library Journal
“Uncommonly frank…a rarity in presidential histories these days: an argument for public service.”

— Chicago Tribune
“As a political memoir, it is a masterpiece, rendering the White House’s characters—including President Barack Obama—in deeply human terms, with unforgettable behind-the-scenes accounts of how history was made.”

— Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Samantha Power
"A beautifully written record of how a President and his speechwriter faced down the darkest demons of American identity to offer a better, truer story of who we can be.”

— NYT Bestselling Author Ben Rhodes
“Cody Keenan has the heart of a novelist, the agile mind of an historian, and the acuity of someone who knows politics inside out…this is a hero’s journey, told with humility, insight, and of course, grace.”

National Book Award winner Colum McCann

A New York Times Bestseller and spellbinding account of the ten most dramatic days of the Obama presidency, when a hate-fueled massacre and looming Supreme Court decisions put the character of our country on the line, and a president’s words could bring the nation together or tear it apart.

Read an excerpt of GRACE in Vanity Fair

"At a time when the meaning of America is up for grabs, Cody Keenan’s new book chronicles ten days that tested us and ultimately showed us at our best. It’s a captivating story about what’s worth fighting for, an antidote to cynicism that will make you believe again."

“An absorbing book debut with an insider’s view of the pressured, often ‘fucking terrifying’ workings within the White House…a moving portrait of a presidency and its top speechwriter.” (Starred Review)

"A refreshing departure from the flood of scandalous ‘literary’ flotsam that typically washes up in the wake of the transfer of power…Like the president he served, Keenan tells his story with conviction, compassion—and amazing grace.”

“Powerful…a fascinating backstage pass…no matter your political persuasion, Grace is a generous, lively, and worthwhile read.” (Starred Review)

“A compelling memoir…[Keenan] offers a candid slice of life in a West Wing characterized by camaraderie, integrity, and hard work.”

“Uncommonly frank…a rarity in presidential histories these days: an argument for public service.”

“As a political memoir, it is a masterpiece, rendering the White House’s characters—including President Barack Obama—in deeply human terms, with unforgettable behind-the-scenes accounts of how history was made.”

"A beautifully written record of how a President and his speechwriter faced down the darkest demons of American identity to offer a better, truer story of who we can be.”

“Cody Keenan has the heart of a novelist, the agile mind of an historian, and the acuity of someone who knows politics inside out…this is a hero’s journey, told with humility, insight, and of course, grace.”

The Story Behind the Book