They Call Me a Hero: A Memoir of My Youth

Daniel Hernandez, who was a twenty-year-old intern for Representative Gabby Giffords, was on the scene during the attack. Along with coauthor Susan Goldman Rubin, he presents an admirably candid and thoughtful description of the incident that places more emphasis on the volunteers, victims, survivors, and first responders than the shooter and the violence. Following the shooting, Hernandez gained international renown not only for his role in saving Giffords’s life, but also for his young age, Latino heritage, and forthrightness about his sexual orientation. Hernandez’s account of the many days of intense, personal media attention he faced—and why he made himself so available—is fascinating. Readers will be interested in the story of Hernandez’s youth, which is captivating in its own right. As a child and teenager, he stood out for his size, intelligence, sexuality, and facility with both Spanish and English, among other things. In the second part of the book, he speaks with disarming frankness about the challenges he overcame and with engaging enthusiasm about his passions and pursuits, including medical training and his campaign for student body president of the University of Arizona. Notable images of Hernandez—including photos of him as a child, with President Obama at the Tucson memorial service, and at a reunion with Representative Giffords—help complete this look at a remarkable young life.