Sandra Day O'Connor (1930–2023)

I'm not sure how I missed the news that retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was writing another picture-book, following upon 2005's Chico, but my first inkling was the little blurb I read this past weekend in The New York Times Book Review. I am not a fan, generally speaking, of celebrity authors, nor of the notion that all it takes to write a children's book is a recognizable name. Obviously O'Connor isn't in the same category as Madonna, but I still approached Finding Susie show more with caution.

Fortunately, what I discovered in this book was an engaging tale of a young girl growing up on an Arizona-New Mexico ranch, longing for a special animal companion. Based upon the author's own childhood experiences, it follows young Sandra as she attempts to adopt a succession of wild animals, from Hercules the tortoise to Bob the bobcat, until finally finding the perfect pet. A warm-hearted tale of childhood and family, Finding Susie also has an underlying message about respecting wildlife, and not trying to domesticate it.

O'Connor's prose flows smoothly, and is well-matched by Tom Pohrt's appealing watercolor illustrations, which capture the earthy tones of the American southwest. While I wouldn't describe it as one the best picture-books of the season, this is still a solid contribution to the genre, and will be particularly appealing for young readers who, like Sandra, long for a true "best friend." show less

Were I to tell you that the history behind the Supreme Court of the United States getting it’s first frozen yogurt machine was mesmerizing, you would ask me for a drug screen. Were I to tell you that the court’s first justices traveled the nation’s roads, more like paths really, in order to hear cases, you might ask if I was making this all up. Were I to tell you that from time to time the justices had no choice in their journey but to share not only a room, but also a bed with each show more other or even fellow travelers, total strangers, in the taverns and lodges along the way, you might whisper to your friends, “Bless him”. Don’t take my word for it, but rather read Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court, and take the word of The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Retired Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States.

The gravity of Justice O’Connor’s book is generated by a deep love and admiration of the constitution, the law, and this attempt at self-governance Thomas Jefferson called the “American Experiment”. The precision of a great intellect and scholar, along with the compassion of a grandmother’s voice allow Justice O’Connor to help us appreciate, value and understand our founding fathers’ gift of freedom and self-determination.

Her appointment to the bench by President Reagan in 1981 forced folks of all political persuasions to rethink their understanding of the reality of the day. Justice O’Connor’s response to the questions of the day was not to respond, but rather to simply be what she was. The ability to simply be genuine is what made her such a great jurist, and is also the other main contributing factor to her book. Her awe of the great men to proceed her on the court, as well as her excitement for those that followed her, especially the current court’s three women, was a palpable as a child’s anticipation of Christmas. And it was a window into the sacrifice that all nine members of the Supreme Court offer as a service to the country and legal system they love.

Any judge, regardless of the relative power or anonymity of their bench, seeks to listen dispassionately to the facts of the case and impartially apply the law to those facts. All judges hunt the equilibrium between being an active member of society, and at the same time maintain a distance that allows them to protect their objectivity. For those occupying a seat on the highest court in the land this creates an incredible isolation. Every word they utter or write, every decision they make, regardless of how personal or trivial, is believed to be a microscope viewing the judge’s soul and offering insight in predicting how they may rule. To be willing to be so alone is a great sacrifice and demands our thanks and respect for the crucial role they play in our democracy. show less

A nostalgic cowboy-romance in non-fiction form. This is the memoir of a supreme court justice, not about her life, but about her birthplace and her father. Think if Arya Stark wrote a book about Winterfell, but Americanized completely.

Sandra Day O'Connor and her brother write a book that spends few words on politics, however history of American law is in there regardless. At times not so subtle, this book chronicles the lives of those who lived on The Lazy B ranch, and the changing world show more distantly around them. If you look you can see America evolve in the background, legally, infrastructurally, and ecologically.

Politics are downplayed to a minimal. Nothing partisan or truly controversial. It is simply inter-mountain ranching of the twentieth century laid bare for a reader to observe. show less

Superficial but Disappointing

Out of Order is far from it. It is a highly structured, superficial and trivial summary of the history of the Supreme Court. It continually returns to the era of George Washington, first to list all the Supreme Court justices named by every president, in order, and then back again to list all the buildings the Supreme Court has ever occupied, from George Washington's administration to the present building, inaugurated during the Depression. Then it's back for a show more tour of all the variations of the oath of office through the years. Later - how justices retire through the ages.

For the major public discourse of the first woman Supreme Court justice, this is a letdown. I was hoping for some sort of insight into the all-male enclave. Instead, we get a history that pretty much anybody with Wikipedia could have written. A high school textbook lovesong to the Supreme Court.

The section on humor is particularly embarrassing. But then, Justice O'Connor owns up to her rating of seventh out of nine in sense of humor. She should not have written that chapter.

This is a badly misnamed book.

The one thing Justice O'Connor could have offered us was the insider's view of the goings on at the Supreme Court Building. Unfortunately, the deepest we get is her revelation that (junior) Justice Kagan has used her position as manager of the cafeteria to introduce yogurt and pretzels to the Supreme Court. I'm sure TMZ will pick up on this any day now.

Finally, the book suddenly ends at page 131. That's it. That's all there is, except for a reprinting of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, which is probably not why you bought this book. In fact, there is no reason to buy this book, as anyone with access to wikipedia could put together the same string of trivia. The great, outlandish characters like Holmes and Douglas get anecdotal treatment well beneath their worth. You can get that from their biographies - but not here.

The Supreme Court deserves better, especially from someone who mentions repeatedly that she was the first woman to serve, and that she served for 25 years. The result is less than insightful. show less