Book — Cody Keenan

Kirkus Reviews

“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
Washington Monthly

“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.”
Bookpage

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

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

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

“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.”
Ben Rhodes

"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.”
Colum McCann

“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.”
Kal Penn

“An invigorating reminder of the power each of us have to change the things for the better. Read this book! And then buy another one for your friend who thinks nothing matters and the world is doomed.”
Joshua DuBois

“All Americans will be moved to tears of sorrow and joy through Cody’s retelling. Grace is what's needed in our country right now, and Keenan's Grace is likewise a needed, essential read."

**From Barack Obama’s chief speechwriter Cody Keenan, a spellbinding account of the ten most dramatic days of the 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.”