Uphill: A Memoir by Jemele Hill
A Review By: SY
Jemele Hill’s world came crashing down when she called President Trump a “white supremacist”; the White House wanted her fired from ESPN, and she was deluged with death threats. But Hill had faced tougher adversaries growing up in Detroit than a tweeting president. Beneath the exterior of one of the most recognizable journalists in America was a need—a calling—to break her family’s cycle of intergenerational trauma.
Born in the middle of a lively routine Friday night Monopoly game to a teen mother and a heroin-addicted father, Hill constantly adjusted to the harsh realities of not only her own childhood but the inherited generational pain of her mother and grandmother. Her escape was writing.
Hill’s mother was less than impressed with the brassy and bold free expression of her diary, but Hill never stopped discovering and amplifying her voice. Through hard work and a constant willingness to learn, Hill rose from newspaper reporter to columnist to new heights as the co-anchor for ESPN’s revered SportsCenter. Soon, she earned respect and support for her fearless opinions and unshakable confidence, as well as a reputation as a trusted journalist who speaks her mind with truth and conviction.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2022
An installment in a Series? No
Narrator (s): Jemele Hill
Ms. Hill opens her memoir with vignettes from her childhood - her family's love of Monopoly, the foundation for her relationship with God, early memories of her father and stepfather - and takes the listener on a journey of how these moments shaped the outspoken, unapologetic woman that she has become. She recounts navigating a heartbreaking and complicated relationship with her mother and grandmother, two very powerful figures in her life story; but despite the very serious circumstances of her upbringing, Ms. Hill injects humor, sincere reflection, and brutal honesty about her life choices into the book.
Although she is a household name in the sports entertainment world, listeners don't have to appreciate sports in order to enjoy this account of Ms. Hill's life and career.
While Ms. Hill is not a trained narrator, hearing the story in her voice brings an authenticity that audiophiles have come to expect with audio memoirs; the production quality is superb. Highly recommend.
Reading Recommendation? Yes!
Rating: 4 (It’s lit!)
Content Warnings? Physical abuse/violence, Sexual abuse/violence
