What an inspiring story of determination and sacrifice! I was riveted by Velshi’s account of his forebears’ efforts to serve their communities, support their families and bring justice about wherever they found themselves. Equal parts political history and heartfelt reflection, this memoir gives us a window into the motivations of one of our most prolific television journalists. When you next watch him, know that Ali Velshi is not just sitting on a sound stage, but standing on the shoulders of the great men and women who came before him.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

2 stars - I enjoyed the historical stories and the information about ali's background - but otherwise it seemed to political in parts - I was hoping for an insider view of journalism w/out the hot political takes - and the reminders of "being shot". It was just bleh.

WHOOSH!!!

There is a lot to unpack in this book and I honestly never expected to feel so much or learn so much or feel like I was a part of the immigration experience again [I traveled to and lived in two foreign countrkes, and was married to someone who had to do the American immigration, which was awful and exhausting], like I did in reading this book. The story of the authors family, starting in India and ending up with the author getting U.S. Citizenship is nothing short of amazing and at times made it almost impossible for me to put it down. It's engaging, exciting, and had several chapters that made me just weep for what his family suffered.

A weird twist to the story [that also made me weep for 2 whole chapters because SENSITIVE] for me is that once the author and his parents and sister finally got to Canada [via South Africa and Kenya], they settled in Toronto. The you find out that they settled in a city within the GTA called Don Mills, which was the city I lived in for 7+ years [and haven't been back to since 2013 and miss it every day] and hearing what it was like back in the 70's and 80's from someone other than my ex and his family was very, very cool [as well as tear-inducing]. One of the biggest things I learned a lot about was how elections really work in Canada, something I always struggled with when I lived there. The author lays it out in a way that no or else could and it was really great to finally understand that aspect of Canadian life. So even with the tears, it was so good to learn something in the midst of sadness.

Well-written, and told in an upfront and frank manner, this was one of the better history/memoir books I have read this year and will leave you feeling like you an accomplish anything, just Mr. Velshi's family have over the years. I admire and look up to them and all they have gone through, accomplished and are continuing to do. Well done.

I was grateful to have received an audiobook ARC for this book and I am so glad I did; Mr. Velshi narrates and he does that much like he wrote to book; straightforward and frankly, his narration makes the stories come alive and makes them feel even more real for the reader. I highly recommend this audiobook!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ali Velshi, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing both the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

Fabulous. I've been a fan of Ali Velshi the tv journalist for years, but now I am a HUGE fan of the man and his family as well. The title refers to the many decisions he and his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents made in their continual struggle to build safer and more rewarding lives for themselves and their families. The book begins with Velshi's reflections on obtaining U.S. citizenship in light of his existing legal and cultural ties to Canada, Kenya, South Africa, and India. His great-grandfather walked with Ghandi in South Africa, and his grandfather was the first Moslem child to enroll in Ghandi's ashram there. Commitment to social and political change carried on through the generations, and Velshi's father eventually became the first Moslem elected to provincial office in Ontario. Velshi now takes his responsibility as an American citizen and journalist seriously, and his commitment to carrying on his family's dedication to political and social progress shines through his prose. I am overjoyed to have listened to an early copy of the audiobook, but I fully intend to purchase a print copy of the book to reread and share.

SMALL ACTS OF COURAGE is the latest book from Ali Velshi. I received an ARC of the audiobook, which is narrated by Ali himself.

The book begins with Ari being shot with a rubber bullet while he and his crew were filming a largely peaceful protest. (Later he solidifies what he probably already knew, the police shot him KNOWING that he was a journalist there to cover the event.) He marks this as one of the incidents that marks him as an American citizen. From there Ali relates the lives of his family going all the way back to the late 1800's. Ali's family trekked from India, to South Africa, and then to Canada.

What's fascinating is the racism they found, no matter where they went. I guess some things never change. In spite of the oftentimes dark stories, I did find some hope in this book. Time after time throughout Ali's family history, he finds nuggets of hope and light.

His family has always been hard-working and willing to do whatever needed to be done to survive. They also depended a lot on their faith, (they're Muslim), and their faith paid off in the shape of supportive religious families and groups throughout their travels. Ali's family then, in turn, helped wherever and whenever they could: providing a home for the arrival of new immigrants, until they could get on their feet, and in many other ways. I have to be honest here and say that it was wonderful to hear about such things. It's lovely to hear about a religion where the congregants actually do take good care of each other, and practice what they preach. I doubt his family would have survived without that religious support.

I learned a lot about history, certain wars around the world, apartheid, leaders like Mandela and Gandhi, and the politics of several countries. All of this is related to the reader by Ali and from the viewpoint of his extended family. I must admit that I'm a bit envious of Ali's knowledge of his family history, because I can only trace back to my grandparents.

There are lessons to be learned here about participation in government and working within the system for change. Democracy often requires a bit more than just showing up to vote. Democracy requires work, it requires that people pay attention and it also requires listening to those you disagree with, because after all, this is America and everyone is supposed to have a voice. It's when those voices get violent that the problems start. The opposition will focus on that violence and try to detract from any valid points being made because of it. This is something that leaders like Gandhi and Mandela knew, (MLK as well), and I'm left wondering when the rest of the world will wake up. In light of the protests going on right now, this is a timely book.

One last note about this audiobook: Ali's narration is fabulous, (he's got a great voice!)

Overall, this was an interesting and informative listen and I'm glad I gave it a go!

ARC from publisher: Macmillan Audio. Thank you.