Since being appointed to the Supreme Court, Sotomayor has been asked how her personal experiences have shaped her—losing her father at a young age, being raised by a single mother, having diabetes, and being part of two cultures (American and Puerto Rican). Based on these questions, she has concluded that her challenges resonate with others’ experiences, and the fact that she’s overcome adversity inspires hope for others.

She acknowledges that her openness in this memoir makes her vulnerable to judgment, but she says this is a small price to pay for the comfort and inspiration her story may provide to others. She calls her work a memoir, not a biography, because a memoir faces its own subjectivity. She also explains why she chose to end her story upon her appointment to the Supreme Court: the appointment represents an ongoing journey. She feels it would be inappropriate to reflect on a journey that’s in-process.

Finally, she shares a “more private motive” for writing the book: living in the public eye has “psychological hazards” (10). She believes it is “wise to pause and reflect” on what brought her to where she is and “to count the blessings that have made [her] who [she] is, taking care not to lose sight of them, or of [her] best self” as she moves forward” (10).