In An Unspeakable Hope, Leon writes with clarity, openness, and wisdom. 

This is not a sanitized memoir; he’s not shying away or artfully retelling the more painful moments of his experience. Leon writes about his rage, about his community, and about his many moments of doubt. And that’s what makes his confidence & hope so much more powerful.

If you’ve spent even one moment in Leon’s presence you can tell he’s a leader. He knows his power, and grounds himself and his messaging  in compassion and love. 

Leon’s dedication to serving his community - and his openness about his healing journey in order to get to a safe place in order to pursue this work - is deeply inspiring. I especially appreciated his acknowledgement of activism burnout, and how social justice leaders will speak up for everyone but themselves. It was lovely to read about Leon’s pledge to care for himself first & his desire to remain an active and involved father.

He has an incredibly fresh voice and set of ideas around social change. While most folks are not powerful connectors or leaders like Leon - let alone at a point in their healing journey where they can enter very vulnerable spaces - his thoughts are valuable, helpful, and hopeful for any reader. 

CW: death of loved ones (including child death), gun violence, police brutality, murder, drug use, suicidal thoughts, medical content, violence

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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)