My Beloved World summary

When Sotomayor was just nine years old, her father passed away as a result of heart problems. After her mother had gone through an initial period of depression and grief, she found she had more energy than ever. She began to speak English at home to support Sotomayor and her younger brother in their school performance.

Inspired by changes at home, Sotomayor began to take a greater interest in her studies. She remembers asking her smartest classmate in the fifth grade how she studied. The girl, surprised, explained her simple technique of underlining key ideas when reading, taking notes in class and reviewing important topics before tests.

After years of academic excellence in high school, it was time for Sotomayor to start thinking about her future. A friend told her about the Ivy League schools, which Sotomayor had never even heard of. But once she applied, she was accepted into several of them.

After deciding to attend Princeton, Sotomayor began to notice that the way other people treated her changed. Once, when she and her mother were in a department store picking out a gift, both women were met with dismissive, disrespectful behavior from the store staff. But when Sotomayor mentioned she was attending Princeton, the personnel turned their behavior around, treating Sotomayor and her mother with courtesy out of the blue.

After graduating from Princeton with flying colors, Sotomayor married her high school sweetheart and started thinking about the next chapter of her life. What awaited her? Well, Yale Law School, for a start. This was another fantastic opportunity for Sotomayor, though it also came with some challenges.

She left one job interview feeling humiliated after an employer implied that Sotomayor was at Yale not because she deserved to be there, but because of affirmative action. He went on to describe her as “culturally deprived,” insulting her with his assertion that students from minorities admitted through affirmative action were undeserving of their place at Yale.

While many of her peers chose to go on to fancy law firms and earn fat paychecks after graduation, Sotomayor chose instead to go into the public sector at the New York District Attorney’s office. Though an unusual move for a Yale Law graduate, it benefited Sotomayor enormously.

The DA’s office gave her more direct courtroom experience and responsibility than almost any other first-time law job could. As the state representative and prosecutor of criminal offenses, Sotomayor had to prepare meticulously for her cases. She did a good job doing so and achieved an impressive streak of convictions. The sense of purpose she felt each time she spoke before the jury rekindled her childhood dream of becoming a judge to give back to her community.

When looking back on her life, Sotomayor often thinks of her cousin Nelson. The two of them were inseparable when they were growing up. Nelson always seemed wiser and stronger to her, having had a more stable home life than Sotomayor. And yet, Nelson tragically died before his thirtieth birthday of a heroin overdose.

Sotomayor could never understand why their lives had taken such different paths. After struggling with the question for decades, she came to realize that her tough childhood had taught her resilience and perseverance through difficult times, which eventually helped her bring her life into a better place.

After her post at the DA’s office, Sotomayor moved on to work for a small private firm in Manhattan called Pavia & Harcourt. It was there that she deepened her knowledge of business law and gained more valuable relationships.

One of these relationships was with coworker David Botwinik. It was he who encouraged her to apply for the position of federal district court judge at just 36. Though Sotomayor was worried this was far too ambitious, other coworkers supported her throughout the process. After a rigorous application process, Sotomayor was offered the position of judge.