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At Home with Muhammad Ali: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Forgiveness
Muhammad Ali’s daughter captures the legendary heavyweight boxing champion, Olympic Gold medalist, activist, and philanthropist as never before in this candid and intimate family memoir, based on personal recordings he kept throughout his adult life.
Athlete. Activist. Champion. Ambassador. Icon. Father. The greatest, Muhammad Ali, is all of these things. In this candid family memoir, Hana Ali illuminates this momentous figure as only a daughter can. As Ali approached the end of his astonishing boxing career, he embraced a new purpose and role, turning his focus to his family and friends. In that role, he took center stage as an ambassador for peace and friendship.
Dedicated to preserving his family’s unique history, Ali began recording a series of audio diaries in the 1970s, which his daughter later inherited. Through these private tapes, as well as personal journals, love letters, cherished memories, and many never-before-seen photographs, she reveals a complex man devoted to keeping all nine of his children united, and to helping others. Hana gives us a privileged glimpse inside the Ali home, sharing the everyday adventures her family experienced—all so “normal,” with visitors such as Clint Eastwood and John Travolta dropping by. She shares the joy and laughter, the hardship and pain, and, most importantly, the dedication and love that has bonded them.
“It’s been said that my father is one of the most written-about people in the world,” Hana writes. “As the chronicles continue to grow, the deepest and most essential essence of his spirit is still largely unknown.” A moving and poignant love letter from a daughter to a father, At Home with Muhammad Ali is the untold story of Ali’s family legacy—a gift both eternal and priceless.
485 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2019
47 people are currently reading
1840 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 5, 2020
The emotional integrity of this book moves me to the core!
I knew so little about Muhammad Ali......
....next-to-nothing when I started this book. I had no idea how famous he was internationally.
The gifts he left this world are extraordinary. The things I learned were fascinating-
I read the physical book
458 pages ....and listened to the audiobook, by Kim Staunton- 15 hours and 9 minutes...
Taking a journey with the life of Muhammad Ali.....written by his daughter, Hana, has been a pleasure that will stay with me a long long time.....
Hana’s love for her father can move mountains....
The bond she had with her daddy — was beyond special - - spectacular and pure —
Laughter, love, honestly, intimate ....this is one heck of a brilliant and ambitious memoir.....
.....no one could have written this book better.....than Hana Ali. Both of these human beings squeezed every last drop of love from my heart.
I fell in love with Muhammad
I fell in love with Hana
Popsicles, Pippi Longstocking‘s, and Wonder Woman were childhood favorites for Hana.... but nobody was or ever will be more ‘favorite’ than her daddy... the great boxing Champion, profit, and childlike-loving man...., than Muhammad Ali ...
HANA.... Thank you for sharing your dad, the most famous man of the decades in the 70s, your daddy, your family, your stories, YOURSELF....
I’m forever changed from this experience!!!!!
I can still hear Hana’s little childhood 3 year old voice...
“Daddy, I want to go with you..... I want to go bye bye ....
I don’t want to stay home, daddy, I want to go with you.....
I want to go bye-bye.....I want to go bye.
Nine times out of ten.... daddy caved - and took his little girl with him.
What was really extraordinary for me is that Muhammad Ali had been making vocal tapes of he and his family forever years and years worth. When Hana was 19 years old - he handed over to her a humongous suitcase FILLED WITH TAPES. Ordinary days... sweet conversations... etc.
Can you imagine playing YEARS - BOXES - of tapes that your parents made of you while you were growing up?
Listening to the real live tapes… a sample at the end of the audiobook was quite WOW-amazing.
I could never write a review that would do justice to this book - for all the gifts I took away....
The best I can do is sincerely say thank you to the very beautiful- bright - lovely woman - Hani Ali
I knew so little about Muhammad Ali......
....next-to-nothing when I started this book. I had no idea how famous he was internationally.
The gifts he left this world are extraordinary. The things I learned were fascinating-
I read the physical book
458 pages ....and listened to the audiobook, by Kim Staunton- 15 hours and 9 minutes...
Taking a journey with the life of Muhammad Ali.....written by his daughter, Hana, has been a pleasure that will stay with me a long long time.....
Hana’s love for her father can move mountains....
The bond she had with her daddy — was beyond special - - spectacular and pure —
Laughter, love, honestly, intimate ....this is one heck of a brilliant and ambitious memoir.....
.....no one could have written this book better.....than Hana Ali. Both of these human beings squeezed every last drop of love from my heart.
I fell in love with Muhammad
I fell in love with Hana
Popsicles, Pippi Longstocking‘s, and Wonder Woman were childhood favorites for Hana.... but nobody was or ever will be more ‘favorite’ than her daddy... the great boxing Champion, profit, and childlike-loving man...., than Muhammad Ali ...
HANA.... Thank you for sharing your dad, the most famous man of the decades in the 70s, your daddy, your family, your stories, YOURSELF....
I’m forever changed from this experience!!!!!
I can still hear Hana’s little childhood 3 year old voice...
“Daddy, I want to go with you..... I want to go bye bye ....
I don’t want to stay home, daddy, I want to go with you.....
I want to go bye-bye.....I want to go bye.
Nine times out of ten.... daddy caved - and took his little girl with him.
What was really extraordinary for me is that Muhammad Ali had been making vocal tapes of he and his family forever years and years worth. When Hana was 19 years old - he handed over to her a humongous suitcase FILLED WITH TAPES. Ordinary days... sweet conversations... etc.
Can you imagine playing YEARS - BOXES - of tapes that your parents made of you while you were growing up?
Listening to the real live tapes… a sample at the end of the audiobook was quite WOW-amazing.
I could never write a review that would do justice to this book - for all the gifts I took away....
The best I can do is sincerely say thank you to the very beautiful- bright - lovely woman - Hani Ali
April 29, 2020
Muhammad Ali is the sort of larger-than-life historical figure that nobody forgets. I was offered an opportunity to read and review this biography written by his daughter, Hana, and I jumped at the chance. Her recollections are bolstered by the vast archives that her father intentionally left, cassette tapes of every phone conversation that took place from his home, along with letters, photographs, and journal entries. Ali knew he was making history, and so he consciously left copious documentation behind. This wonderful book strikes the perfect balance, deeply affectionate and intimate, emotionally honest, yet never prurient or mawkish. My thanks go to the author for the beautiful hardcover copy, and for this opportunity.
A note before I continue: usually when I review a book, I refer to the author by his or her last name. In this case, however, the last name is shared by author and subject, and so when I use the name ‘Ali,’ I refer to the boxer, whereas I refer to his daughter and biographer by her first name.
I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s. I didn’t watch boxing, which my mother considered a nasty, violent sport; I was inclined to agree with her, and so when Dad turned on a boxing match on television, she and I beat a hasty retreat. However, it was impossible to miss my father’s agitated shouts at the TV whenever Ali was on it. Ali’s brash confidence, his refusal to humbly look at the floor while talking to white interviewers, his fervent proselytizing on behalf of the Muslim faith frightened a lot of Caucasians, particularly those who, like my family, lived a life that never intersected with people of races different from our own. But my father wasn’t just afraid of Ali; he was angry. How dare he! On television! He called him a clown; he called him an idiot. There was a lot of that going around at the time, as the Civil Rights Movement strove to change the racial contours of American society, not only in the Jim Crow South, but across the nation.
Many years later, when I began studying education in preparation for teaching public school, in particular language arts, American history and civics, one of the most critical parts of my own graduate school curriculum had to do with serving children from underserved racial and ethnic groups, and part of that was in holding up positive role models to foster self-esteem in every child. My classmates raised the name of Muhammad Ali, and I could see that they were right; say that name around any Black child, especially a little boy, and watch his chin raise perceptibly, his spine straighten, and a gleam come to his eyes. This is what interested me about Ali, not his athletic record, but his principled stand in regard to Civil Rights issues, and his assertion that Black men in America should walk tall.
As I began reading Hana’s glowing tribute to her daddy, I began to wonder more about his boxing career. Ali began boxing at age twelve! There’s a practice you won’t see today; but Louisville, Kentucky during the post-war boom was a much different place than anywhere in America today. By the time he was old enough to shave, he was already accomplished at his sport. And the more I read, the more convinced I was that I should not review this biography without watching some boxing. I went to YouTube over and over, and I watched Ali with Sonny Liston, with Joe Frazier, with George Foreman. I learned a lot about the sport, including the fact that it’s not really all that violent, and it involves just as much skill as other team sports. And also: that man was talented, and he was so damn smart.
And this is the side of Ali that the public never really saw. Who knew that he preferred brainy women with independent ideas? In the 1960s, this was a rare thing among men. Who knew that he wouldn’t let anyone, whether family or staff, raise a hand to his children? Nonviolent parenting all the way. There wasn’t much of that around back then, either. Part of his indulgent nature was due to his faith, but part of it was a deep fear that some hateful person would try to hurt him by kidnapping his daughters. Given the way Hana describes her childhood self, it might have become a Ransom of Red Chief situation. Among the mountains of documentation Ali saved is a hefty collection of letters sent home by preschools and schools decrying Hana’s scrappy behavior. Here’s one of my favorite excerpts from the recordings she shares:
“’Hana, say ‘I’m a good girl.’
“’I’m a good girrrrl.’
“’Say ‘I’m a pretty girrrrl.’
“’I’m a pretty girrrrl.’
“Say ‘I won’t bite the boys no more.’
“’I won’t bite the boys no more.’
“’Say ‘I won’t scratch the boys no more.’
“’I won’t scratch the boys no more.’”
Hana recalls him as a gentle father who remained available to his children despite his busy career; each day began with her careening down the stairs to find him in his den, where he might be having a phone conversation with one of many American celebrities as well as world leaders. He spoke with Brezhnev, Ghaddafi (who wanted to contribute to the war chest of a Black American presidential candidate), and Deng Xiao Peng, who wanted Ali to train Chinese boxers. He offered his services to President Jimmy Carter in the 1980s, hoping he might use his religion as a connection to the Iranians holding American citizens hostage.
In another section she recounts the time he happened by a police cordon. A man was out on a ledge of a skyscraper, threatening to jump; Ali persuaded the cops to let him get past the cordon and speak to the man. There are photographs of him holding the would-be jumper in his arms after he was rescued.
Whereas other public figures often bemoan their lack of privacy, Ali loved being famous, and he loved his fans. Sometimes he left home just to go out and find some of them and talk to them. It’s refreshing.
Yet Ali wouldn’t have been an easy man to be married to. Part of this dovetails with his generosity; he often tooled around in his Rolls Royce when he wasn’t training or working, and when he saw homeless people he’d load them into his car, bring them home, and put them in a guest room until he could arrange a lovely hotel suite for each of them. It’s a sweet gesture, but although Hana doesn’t mention how her mother reacted to it, I can tell you right now that for me, that would get old fast, coming home and not knowing how many strangers had taken up residence. And whereas Ali had more respect for the women in his life than most men did back then, his marriages were clearly never intended to be equal relationships.
But his relationship with Hana was an idyllic one, and this shows in the many engaging photographs that punctuate the text, one after another in which she and her father pose using identical body language, some of which are pretty funny. She also speaks with the pain she feels, even today, of her parents’ divorce, which she is convinced was primarily due to a misunderstanding.
There’s a great deal here about Ali’s religion; there’s really no way to tell his story without it, since it motivated nearly everything he did. There are places where I am ready to be done with it; but just when it threatens to slacken the pace of the narrative, Hana wisely segues on to other topics.
To remember Ali is to remember the virulence of the overt racism of twentieth century America. The way that the media played up every violent thing any Black man or boy did; the stereotypes involving the jungle, and the unpredictability of Ali’s personality, all served to underscore the false notion of hidden menace deep within the man. Ali is the first Black man I ever saw on television that didn’t keep his eyes down when talking to reporters, and who didn’t downplay his own strength. He scared a lot of Caucasian people half to death, merely by being successful, strong, and confident.
But Hana doesn’t dwell on any of the negative publicity; instead, she shows us who he really was. Ali loved to write poetry, for example, and he loved to read. He had never gained strong skills in spelling or grammar, so some of what he produced came out looking a little rough, and yet its merit is undeniable. What a voice! Who knew that a fun day out with his daughters often meant a trip to Barnes Noble to load up on good books?
The book’s ending is perhaps the most poignant of all. Hana recalls her father, an old man in his seventies, weakened by Parkinson’s, viewing footage of himself after the Foreman fight:
"I wrestled with an alligator, and tussled with a whale. I handcuffed lightning and threw thunder in jail. Just last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, and hospitalized a brick! I'm so mean I make medicine sick!"
Watching himself he muses, “Man, I was something!”
I defy you to finish this book without a lump in your throat or misty vision, as Hana tells us, "Sometimes I still feel like that five-year-old girl roaming the halls of a mansion, waiting for her daddy to come home."
Highly recommended.
A note before I continue: usually when I review a book, I refer to the author by his or her last name. In this case, however, the last name is shared by author and subject, and so when I use the name ‘Ali,’ I refer to the boxer, whereas I refer to his daughter and biographer by her first name.
I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s. I didn’t watch boxing, which my mother considered a nasty, violent sport; I was inclined to agree with her, and so when Dad turned on a boxing match on television, she and I beat a hasty retreat. However, it was impossible to miss my father’s agitated shouts at the TV whenever Ali was on it. Ali’s brash confidence, his refusal to humbly look at the floor while talking to white interviewers, his fervent proselytizing on behalf of the Muslim faith frightened a lot of Caucasians, particularly those who, like my family, lived a life that never intersected with people of races different from our own. But my father wasn’t just afraid of Ali; he was angry. How dare he! On television! He called him a clown; he called him an idiot. There was a lot of that going around at the time, as the Civil Rights Movement strove to change the racial contours of American society, not only in the Jim Crow South, but across the nation.
Many years later, when I began studying education in preparation for teaching public school, in particular language arts, American history and civics, one of the most critical parts of my own graduate school curriculum had to do with serving children from underserved racial and ethnic groups, and part of that was in holding up positive role models to foster self-esteem in every child. My classmates raised the name of Muhammad Ali, and I could see that they were right; say that name around any Black child, especially a little boy, and watch his chin raise perceptibly, his spine straighten, and a gleam come to his eyes. This is what interested me about Ali, not his athletic record, but his principled stand in regard to Civil Rights issues, and his assertion that Black men in America should walk tall.
As I began reading Hana’s glowing tribute to her daddy, I began to wonder more about his boxing career. Ali began boxing at age twelve! There’s a practice you won’t see today; but Louisville, Kentucky during the post-war boom was a much different place than anywhere in America today. By the time he was old enough to shave, he was already accomplished at his sport. And the more I read, the more convinced I was that I should not review this biography without watching some boxing. I went to YouTube over and over, and I watched Ali with Sonny Liston, with Joe Frazier, with George Foreman. I learned a lot about the sport, including the fact that it’s not really all that violent, and it involves just as much skill as other team sports. And also: that man was talented, and he was so damn smart.
And this is the side of Ali that the public never really saw. Who knew that he preferred brainy women with independent ideas? In the 1960s, this was a rare thing among men. Who knew that he wouldn’t let anyone, whether family or staff, raise a hand to his children? Nonviolent parenting all the way. There wasn’t much of that around back then, either. Part of his indulgent nature was due to his faith, but part of it was a deep fear that some hateful person would try to hurt him by kidnapping his daughters. Given the way Hana describes her childhood self, it might have become a Ransom of Red Chief situation. Among the mountains of documentation Ali saved is a hefty collection of letters sent home by preschools and schools decrying Hana’s scrappy behavior. Here’s one of my favorite excerpts from the recordings she shares:
“’Hana, say ‘I’m a good girl.’
“’I’m a good girrrrl.’
“’Say ‘I’m a pretty girrrrl.’
“’I’m a pretty girrrrl.’
“Say ‘I won’t bite the boys no more.’
“’I won’t bite the boys no more.’
“’Say ‘I won’t scratch the boys no more.’
“’I won’t scratch the boys no more.’”
Hana recalls him as a gentle father who remained available to his children despite his busy career; each day began with her careening down the stairs to find him in his den, where he might be having a phone conversation with one of many American celebrities as well as world leaders. He spoke with Brezhnev, Ghaddafi (who wanted to contribute to the war chest of a Black American presidential candidate), and Deng Xiao Peng, who wanted Ali to train Chinese boxers. He offered his services to President Jimmy Carter in the 1980s, hoping he might use his religion as a connection to the Iranians holding American citizens hostage.
In another section she recounts the time he happened by a police cordon. A man was out on a ledge of a skyscraper, threatening to jump; Ali persuaded the cops to let him get past the cordon and speak to the man. There are photographs of him holding the would-be jumper in his arms after he was rescued.
Whereas other public figures often bemoan their lack of privacy, Ali loved being famous, and he loved his fans. Sometimes he left home just to go out and find some of them and talk to them. It’s refreshing.
Yet Ali wouldn’t have been an easy man to be married to. Part of this dovetails with his generosity; he often tooled around in his Rolls Royce when he wasn’t training or working, and when he saw homeless people he’d load them into his car, bring them home, and put them in a guest room until he could arrange a lovely hotel suite for each of them. It’s a sweet gesture, but although Hana doesn’t mention how her mother reacted to it, I can tell you right now that for me, that would get old fast, coming home and not knowing how many strangers had taken up residence. And whereas Ali had more respect for the women in his life than most men did back then, his marriages were clearly never intended to be equal relationships.
But his relationship with Hana was an idyllic one, and this shows in the many engaging photographs that punctuate the text, one after another in which she and her father pose using identical body language, some of which are pretty funny. She also speaks with the pain she feels, even today, of her parents’ divorce, which she is convinced was primarily due to a misunderstanding.
There’s a great deal here about Ali’s religion; there’s really no way to tell his story without it, since it motivated nearly everything he did. There are places where I am ready to be done with it; but just when it threatens to slacken the pace of the narrative, Hana wisely segues on to other topics.
To remember Ali is to remember the virulence of the overt racism of twentieth century America. The way that the media played up every violent thing any Black man or boy did; the stereotypes involving the jungle, and the unpredictability of Ali’s personality, all served to underscore the false notion of hidden menace deep within the man. Ali is the first Black man I ever saw on television that didn’t keep his eyes down when talking to reporters, and who didn’t downplay his own strength. He scared a lot of Caucasian people half to death, merely by being successful, strong, and confident.
But Hana doesn’t dwell on any of the negative publicity; instead, she shows us who he really was. Ali loved to write poetry, for example, and he loved to read. He had never gained strong skills in spelling or grammar, so some of what he produced came out looking a little rough, and yet its merit is undeniable. What a voice! Who knew that a fun day out with his daughters often meant a trip to Barnes Noble to load up on good books?
The book’s ending is perhaps the most poignant of all. Hana recalls her father, an old man in his seventies, weakened by Parkinson’s, viewing footage of himself after the Foreman fight:
"I wrestled with an alligator, and tussled with a whale. I handcuffed lightning and threw thunder in jail. Just last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, and hospitalized a brick! I'm so mean I make medicine sick!"
Watching himself he muses, “Man, I was something!”
I defy you to finish this book without a lump in your throat or misty vision, as Hana tells us, "Sometimes I still feel like that five-year-old girl roaming the halls of a mansion, waiting for her daddy to come home."
Highly recommended.
January 23, 2020
We all have loved the champ but how many of us loved the man behind the icon? Well, let's be honest... We loved that part of him even more.
There are a plethora of books written about Muhammad Ali in depth — the best one would be Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times but what makes Hana Ali's books stand out is that she covers some of the missing pieces of his life puzzle, and she shed a light on him that only she (and any of his other children) is able to. At Home with Muhammad Ali portrays him in a truthful yet compassionate perspective — his daughter's perspective.
It's true that we don't really know our parents — we only know our version of what we think they are. Hana viewed her father as the sun and the moon; no one could compete with the love she had for him, not even her mother. And for the longest of times, she held her own mom accountable for the divorce. The portion of the book in which she uncovers a striking reality about the actual reason behind the divorce is indeed my favorite part because it proves that we don't know everything that goes on behind close doors.
Moreover, the book is not all about Ali's infidelities but it covers them slightly to expand on why or how his marriages didn't last. The memoir is about love, loss, and forgiveness; and this is the part in which forgiveness is issued.
Hana's journey into unraveling her father's audio diaries, love letters, personal journals, and his photographs results in delivering a heartfelt discovery into the heart of a multifaceted human being. Ali without a doubt led a complex life but despite all and every thing he worked hard into keeping it together to the best of his ability and knowledge.
While other books focus on his outstanding career, At Home with Muhammad Ali show us Ali beyond his boxing career; and right into his role as a peace ambassador, and influential figure that beat all the odds. Also, the anecdotes and fond memories that Hana shares throughout the book are endearing — especially with celebrity visitors such as my very favorite, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
I appreciate how Hana learned to “share” her father with the whole world — she obviously knew she was loved — yet she understands that he belongs to the world as well, and she's totally generous with the notion.
All in all, there are many repetition, it also lacks a little bit of organizing meaning it goes back and forth with no chronological order, which makes it a bit uneasy for the unseasoned Ali readers but that what makes it intimate — and Hana gives the best account, although it could be biased at times, of Muhammad Ali the person behind the persona by uncovering different sides of him that make us understand the totality of his life and career even better. I loved every bit of this memoir because there are numerous gems we could collect out of it.
P.S. the book's cover is, obviously, gorgeous.
Check out Hana's other books:
- The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey
- Ali on Ali: Why He Said What He Said When He Said It
- More Than a Hero: Muhammad Ali's Life Lessons Presented Through His Daughter's Eyes
There are a plethora of books written about Muhammad Ali in depth — the best one would be Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times but what makes Hana Ali's books stand out is that she covers some of the missing pieces of his life puzzle, and she shed a light on him that only she (and any of his other children) is able to. At Home with Muhammad Ali portrays him in a truthful yet compassionate perspective — his daughter's perspective.
“We all think we know our parents. The more we presume to know, the more shocking the discoveries when they are revealed,” page 31.
It's true that we don't really know our parents — we only know our version of what we think they are. Hana viewed her father as the sun and the moon; no one could compete with the love she had for him, not even her mother. And for the longest of times, she held her own mom accountable for the divorce. The portion of the book in which she uncovers a striking reality about the actual reason behind the divorce is indeed my favorite part because it proves that we don't know everything that goes on behind close doors.
“I had unfairly cast my mother in the role of the villain, just as she had been cast by the world over the break-up of my father’s marriage to Belinda. Beautiful women often get blamed in these situations, but really, if anyone is to blame, it is the partner who is being unfaithful. Usually,” page 284.
Moreover, the book is not all about Ali's infidelities but it covers them slightly to expand on why or how his marriages didn't last. The memoir is about love, loss, and forgiveness; and this is the part in which forgiveness is issued.
Hana's journey into unraveling her father's audio diaries, love letters, personal journals, and his photographs results in delivering a heartfelt discovery into the heart of a multifaceted human being. Ali without a doubt led a complex life but despite all and every thing he worked hard into keeping it together to the best of his ability and knowledge.
While other books focus on his outstanding career, At Home with Muhammad Ali show us Ali beyond his boxing career; and right into his role as a peace ambassador, and influential figure that beat all the odds. Also, the anecdotes and fond memories that Hana shares throughout the book are endearing — especially with celebrity visitors such as my very favorite, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
“What I remember most about Michael was his kindness. He was very patient, soft-spoken and moved with a gentle, graceful pace,” page 220.
I appreciate how Hana learned to “share” her father with the whole world — she obviously knew she was loved — yet she understands that he belongs to the world as well, and she's totally generous with the notion.
“By the time I was four years old, I realized my father did not belong to me. He belonged to the world,” page 88.
“Hana, I’m your daddy, but I am also Muhammad Ali, the Champion of the World. People look up to me. I inspire them. So I have to go to Deer Lake to train for a fight that will help me stay a champion. I’m not just your daddy, Hana … I’m also a ‘Daddy to the World,’” page 99.
All in all, there are many repetition, it also lacks a little bit of organizing meaning it goes back and forth with no chronological order, which makes it a bit uneasy for the unseasoned Ali readers but that what makes it intimate — and Hana gives the best account, although it could be biased at times, of Muhammad Ali the person behind the persona by uncovering different sides of him that make us understand the totality of his life and career even better. I loved every bit of this memoir because there are numerous gems we could collect out of it.
P.S. the book's cover is, obviously, gorgeous.
Check out Hana's other books:
- The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey
- Ali on Ali: Why He Said What He Said When He Said It
- More Than a Hero: Muhammad Ali's Life Lessons Presented Through His Daughter's Eyes
June 4, 2019
I found it to be a quick read. At times Hana's thoughts went back to an item that had been covered before, slowing the pace. Having lived in Michigan near the farm, I knew some of the stories of Muhammad around the area. Stopping at McDonalds and pointing to the M, signing pamphlets, taking photos with people while saying something he was told not to. He visited a friend's pre K class in Benton Harbor and all the kids instantly knew who he was. Why? This was in the 90s and they were 4 years old? Because he was Ali. This book confirmed the stories I knew and told me so much more about living with the Greatest
This is more than a love letter from a daughter to a father. His heart was big and I thank Hana for sharing her father with us in live and in death. You can't write a book this personal without including Muhammad's faith and also his infidelity. Neither should stop you from reading this book. My heart is better for having read this book.
This is more than a love letter from a daughter to a father. His heart was big and I thank Hana for sharing her father with us in live and in death. You can't write a book this personal without including Muhammad's faith and also his infidelity. Neither should stop you from reading this book. My heart is better for having read this book.
January 27, 2019
I always wanted to read about this great man, deeply loved by his family and widely loved by his fans, who is "The Greatest" of all. His confidence, his love for the people and his spirit instill a sense of divinity about him in your mind. And I wanted to hear all of this from the perspective of his beloved daughter, Hana. Because who would better explain the nuances of his ways, what kind of a father he was and why he is "The Greatest".
This book has brought me utter satisfaction. Hana tells his story like a beautifully woven garment, running through the times of his prime, his fame, his wife Veronica, his love for the people, his fans, his childhood, his disease and his fighting spirit outisde the ring, while always putting in small threads of her love for him in the garment. This book has also been a great lesson in how to be a great father and I'm surely going to read it some years down the line, because the memories in this book are evergreen.
Some of the best moments in the book for me were:
1. Hana saying "But God will see.. and God tells my daddy EVERYTHING!"
2. Muhammad Ali saying "She'll grow out of it.."
3. Muhammad Ali: "What you resist, persists and what you persist, resists.."
Lastly, the quote by Theodore Roosevelt has left a deep impact on my mind:
"There is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
A perfect account of his greatness and his life, this book has been at par with my expectations.
This book has brought me utter satisfaction. Hana tells his story like a beautifully woven garment, running through the times of his prime, his fame, his wife Veronica, his love for the people, his fans, his childhood, his disease and his fighting spirit outisde the ring, while always putting in small threads of her love for him in the garment. This book has also been a great lesson in how to be a great father and I'm surely going to read it some years down the line, because the memories in this book are evergreen.
Some of the best moments in the book for me were:
1. Hana saying "But God will see.. and God tells my daddy EVERYTHING!"
2. Muhammad Ali saying "She'll grow out of it.."
3. Muhammad Ali: "What you resist, persists and what you persist, resists.."
Lastly, the quote by Theodore Roosevelt has left a deep impact on my mind:
"There is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
A perfect account of his greatness and his life, this book has been at par with my expectations.
January 22, 2019
I really enjoyed this book because it describes Muhammad Ali from his daughter's perspective. Hana's love for her father allowed her to only see him in one way; as a perfect father, husband, and boxer. However, in reality, he cheated on his wives many times which forced them to divorce. Despite this, Hana still loved her father very much and this book shares all the good times they had together. This book shows how special their relationship was, and how he could have quality time with all his children although he has 9 of them.
May 7, 2019
Others have written very good reviews - there's little I can add, other than I'd like to thank Hana for writing this book and showing me sides of her father that needed to be told.
February 8, 2020
This is the third book written about Ali by his daughter, Hana. She was the ultimate Daddy's girl, always by his side until the end. Her dad was a documenter who made voice recordings of everything, it seemed like.... conversations with family and friends who were visiting, on the phone, kids playing at home and in his office.... if Ali could record it, he did. Hana was the recipient of the thousands of hours of recordings that he made and many of those recordings were transcribed and put in the book. And that is why I gave the book three stars only.
I liked the book overall, but at times found the transcribed tapes to drag on.... I believe that had we been able to hear them as Hana had the vibe would have been much more invigorating. Reading the words at times was just boring to me. There were lots of family pictures that were just lovely and an appendix of letters that were quoted or excerpted from were placed in an appendix. I found his handwriting difficult to read. Hana does not share a lot of personal information but she does not represent her father as a man without flaws. She acknowledges that he was an adulterer but details of his adultery are not her story to tell. After all, there are things in families that should remain in families unless those directly involved wish to share them...ie her mother. Overall, an informative read about a man and family with many complexities.
I liked the book overall, but at times found the transcribed tapes to drag on.... I believe that had we been able to hear them as Hana had the vibe would have been much more invigorating. Reading the words at times was just boring to me. There were lots of family pictures that were just lovely and an appendix of letters that were quoted or excerpted from were placed in an appendix. I found his handwriting difficult to read. Hana does not share a lot of personal information but she does not represent her father as a man without flaws. She acknowledges that he was an adulterer but details of his adultery are not her story to tell. After all, there are things in families that should remain in families unless those directly involved wish to share them...ie her mother. Overall, an informative read about a man and family with many complexities.
October 15, 2020
This is a book about Muhammad Ali the family man and father, not the boxer. Hana takes us deep into her home and into her all-encompassing love and obsession with her dad, the most famous man on the planet. As such, she shows us a different side of Ali - the doting father, the prankster and the caring, though wandering, husband. It's a softer side of Ali but we get to see how much he enjoys being the man in the spotlight, and how much he wants and enjoys helping people. I don't know of any other celebrity who would write autographs in advance and then hand them out to people, whether they asked for them or not.
July 27, 2019
This is a phenomenal book. I’ve seen the movies and read his other books, but this one was the greatest. Even though it was written by his daughter, sometimes the best perspective on a person comes from those closest to him. This is one of those.
Muhammad Ali was way more intelligent, deep, and insightful than ever thought he was. I do believe he was as close to God as anyone on this earth can be.
Muhammad Ali was way more intelligent, deep, and insightful than ever thought he was. I do believe he was as close to God as anyone on this earth can be.
September 18, 2021
She has her father’s voice, and his knack for spinning a yarn. In addition, she has what every writer (including those probably more technically gifted) would love: great, great stories. If you, like me, put the name of Muhammad Ali second only (in most conversations) to the name of God, this is the book for you. 5/5.
June 15, 2019
A totally different side of the Champ. It's all about love.
September 17, 2025
This book is charming, if disjointed. The timeline jumps around so often the narrative continually loses momentum. At times it feels less like a cohesive memoir and more like a collection of loosely related short stories, a tighter edit would have helped.
All of that said...
What delightful insights into who The Greatest really was: warm, kind, wise yet reckless, brash yet humble. He was curious, courageous, profoundly religious, and endlessly generous with his time and resources (going so far as to invite the homeless to stay in his 14,000 sf mansion for the night, and never, ever, ever turning down autograph requests because that moment would always mean something to that person). Ali treasured all life as evidenced by his willingness to trade places with 15 hostages because his one life might save those fifteen. He truly valued integrity, and maintained genuine friendships with every single opponent he faced in the ring.
Aside from being a legendary World Heavyweight Champion, Ali was a jokester, a prankster, a magician (who knew?!), a comrade, a poet, a consummate diplomat, a lover of history, a deeply devoted and doting father, a man of the people, an encourager of all.
What an incredible privilege and delight—to be his child, the apple of his eye, so deeply cherished and regarded by Ali. Through Hana’s stories, we see her father’s tenderness, playfulness, and laughter. It humanizes him, and it’s easy to understand why she adored him so completely.
Some of my favorite quotes.
--
As I stared at the photo, remembering my father training for his last fight, I could feel the chill of the mountain air brushing against my cheek as my little head hung out of the window of the heated car following behind...
No matter how steep the hill, or trying his course, he always kept going. "The real training begins when the pain sets in," he once said, "those are the only miles I count, they're the only ones that matter. It's what you can do after you're tired that counts in the ring."
--
Someone once said that my father was what God meant people to be: kind, loving, generous, and good. He was 100 percent sincere in what he said and what he believed. He used to say, "You can't serve God because He doesn't need you. You serve Him by serving people. When you reject and turn people away you're rejecting the one who created you."
--
"Everyone is trying to live the best they can with the hand they've been dealt," He once told me, "it's not always easy. Life is not equally kind to us all. Remember to treat everyone with respect and equality, and God will always bless you."
--
Quoting Thomas Hauser book, The Lost Legacy of Muhammad Ali,
"More than anyone else of his generation, he belonged to the people of the world and is loved by them. No matter what happens in the years ahead, he has already made us better. He has encouraged millions of people to believe in themselves, raise their aspirations, and accomplish things that may not have been done without him. He wasn't just a standard bearer for Black Americans, he stood for everyone. And that's the importance of Muhammad Ali."
--
Ali's poem on friendship:
Friendship is a priceless gift that cannot be bought nor sold,
but its value is far greater than a mountain made of gold.
For gold is cold and lifeless — it can neither see nor hear.
In times of trouble, it is powerless to cheer.
Gold has no ears to listen, no heart to understand.
It cannot bring you comfort or reach out a helping hand.
So when you ask God for a gift, be thankful if He sends
not diamonds, pearls or riches but the love of real, true friends.
--
On Hana's new doll being denied for Show and Tell,
"Hana," he'd say removing the doll from my arms, "you will find in life that most people get pleasure out of showing off and knowing they have things that others don't. When we follow the rules of Islam, compassion, and kindness, it teaches we should want for others what we want for ourselves."
And with that, the doll was put back on the shelf.
--
And, while her dad may have been the World Heavyweight Champion, Hana could still be embarrassed when she brought him to school for Show and Tell...
He hugged and kissed my classmates and performed magic tricks. Then he turned on his tape recorder and interviewed my teacher and classmates trying to find out what boy I had a crush on.
Such a Girl Dad. 💞
All of that said...
What delightful insights into who The Greatest really was: warm, kind, wise yet reckless, brash yet humble. He was curious, courageous, profoundly religious, and endlessly generous with his time and resources (going so far as to invite the homeless to stay in his 14,000 sf mansion for the night, and never, ever, ever turning down autograph requests because that moment would always mean something to that person). Ali treasured all life as evidenced by his willingness to trade places with 15 hostages because his one life might save those fifteen. He truly valued integrity, and maintained genuine friendships with every single opponent he faced in the ring.
Aside from being a legendary World Heavyweight Champion, Ali was a jokester, a prankster, a magician (who knew?!), a comrade, a poet, a consummate diplomat, a lover of history, a deeply devoted and doting father, a man of the people, an encourager of all.
What an incredible privilege and delight—to be his child, the apple of his eye, so deeply cherished and regarded by Ali. Through Hana’s stories, we see her father’s tenderness, playfulness, and laughter. It humanizes him, and it’s easy to understand why she adored him so completely.
Some of my favorite quotes.
--
As I stared at the photo, remembering my father training for his last fight, I could feel the chill of the mountain air brushing against my cheek as my little head hung out of the window of the heated car following behind...
No matter how steep the hill, or trying his course, he always kept going. "The real training begins when the pain sets in," he once said, "those are the only miles I count, they're the only ones that matter. It's what you can do after you're tired that counts in the ring."
--
Someone once said that my father was what God meant people to be: kind, loving, generous, and good. He was 100 percent sincere in what he said and what he believed. He used to say, "You can't serve God because He doesn't need you. You serve Him by serving people. When you reject and turn people away you're rejecting the one who created you."
--
"Everyone is trying to live the best they can with the hand they've been dealt," He once told me, "it's not always easy. Life is not equally kind to us all. Remember to treat everyone with respect and equality, and God will always bless you."
--
Quoting Thomas Hauser book, The Lost Legacy of Muhammad Ali,
"More than anyone else of his generation, he belonged to the people of the world and is loved by them. No matter what happens in the years ahead, he has already made us better. He has encouraged millions of people to believe in themselves, raise their aspirations, and accomplish things that may not have been done without him. He wasn't just a standard bearer for Black Americans, he stood for everyone. And that's the importance of Muhammad Ali."
--
Ali's poem on friendship:
Friendship is a priceless gift that cannot be bought nor sold,
but its value is far greater than a mountain made of gold.
For gold is cold and lifeless — it can neither see nor hear.
In times of trouble, it is powerless to cheer.
Gold has no ears to listen, no heart to understand.
It cannot bring you comfort or reach out a helping hand.
So when you ask God for a gift, be thankful if He sends
not diamonds, pearls or riches but the love of real, true friends.
--
On Hana's new doll being denied for Show and Tell,
"Hana," he'd say removing the doll from my arms, "you will find in life that most people get pleasure out of showing off and knowing they have things that others don't. When we follow the rules of Islam, compassion, and kindness, it teaches we should want for others what we want for ourselves."
And with that, the doll was put back on the shelf.
--
And, while her dad may have been the World Heavyweight Champion, Hana could still be embarrassed when she brought him to school for Show and Tell...
He hugged and kissed my classmates and performed magic tricks. Then he turned on his tape recorder and interviewed my teacher and classmates trying to find out what boy I had a crush on.
Such a Girl Dad. 💞
February 15, 2020
Lots of detail about Muhammad Ali's family life and the struggles and joys he experienced outside the ring. Hana did a great job of showing how her father cared for his children and friends. So much of the book presents information from tape recordings, not just memories.
February 3, 2023
The only thing I knew about Muhammad Ali before picking up this book was that he was a famous boxer.
After having read it, I can still probably claim a lack of knowledge surrounding him, but I would argue that this book is not a biography of him, as a man and that this is to the book's credit. At Home With Muhammad Ali is the exploration and explanation of a daughter's relationship with her father, and the consequences of the decisions he made. What I have learned about The Greatest is how deeply cared for his family, in his own ways, (I say "in his own ways" because there were many, and not all conventional, owing to his status) and how family intersected with his fame.
Hana Ali excelled at showing her father through the lens of an adoring daughter. This book is rosie-tinted, soft and fuzzy at the edges, which is its point. It is not about the faults of the man or his personal weaknesses. I felt a lot of sympathy towards Muhammad Ali's wives, and it made me wonder if his other children viewed him as warmly as Hana does. This book would be very different from, say, Veronica's perspective, even if she drew on the same tapes and letters shown in the appendix, but I think the core of this book is that it is personal, even while being presented to the public sphere.
I understand why it is classified as a biography, but if there ever was a line between biography and memoir, this would fall firmly in the field of the latter.
After having read it, I can still probably claim a lack of knowledge surrounding him, but I would argue that this book is not a biography of him, as a man and that this is to the book's credit. At Home With Muhammad Ali is the exploration and explanation of a daughter's relationship with her father, and the consequences of the decisions he made. What I have learned about The Greatest is how deeply cared for his family, in his own ways, (I say "in his own ways" because there were many, and not all conventional, owing to his status) and how family intersected with his fame.
Hana Ali excelled at showing her father through the lens of an adoring daughter. This book is rosie-tinted, soft and fuzzy at the edges, which is its point. It is not about the faults of the man or his personal weaknesses. I felt a lot of sympathy towards Muhammad Ali's wives, and it made me wonder if his other children viewed him as warmly as Hana does. This book would be very different from, say, Veronica's perspective, even if she drew on the same tapes and letters shown in the appendix, but I think the core of this book is that it is personal, even while being presented to the public sphere.
I understand why it is classified as a biography, but if there ever was a line between biography and memoir, this would fall firmly in the field of the latter.
April 1, 2022
Well written
April 27, 2020
It was interesting, very intimate. A bit hard to follow at times with the back and forth, and some repetitions I think, but it is definitely a nice tribute.
I don't think I fully understood the impact of Ali on the world, the adulation and charisma, generosity and strength. The book definitely shines a light on this.
It's also a love story between a man and his wife, and his children.
I definitely would have loved more audio from the tapes.
I don't think I fully understood the impact of Ali on the world, the adulation and charisma, generosity and strength. The book definitely shines a light on this.
It's also a love story between a man and his wife, and his children.
I definitely would have loved more audio from the tapes.
May 20, 2020
human side of the legend
Read
January 24, 2020I am one in thousand of fans of Muhammad Ali. I possess hundreds of material of the Greatest. I loved this book. Hana I know your dad is proud of you. I always appreciated the intimacy you and your family provided us with showing us another side of Ali. I fully recommend this book.
August 22, 2021
First off, while I of course knew who Muhammad Ali was I didn’t know any more than the a few bulletpoints, e.g. “The Greatest,” his two terrifically named bouts, his name change, and his getting out of Vietnam. Reading a memoir like this, of his whole life by his daughter, was so delightful and enlightening versus what I imagine a traditional biography would be. Though we’ll certainly find out as I will assuredly read more about Ali.
Secondly, the sometimes seeming fluidity of time throughout the book kept things interesting. At times I’d wonder if I fell asleep as what I was reading didn’t align with what I thought was last read but it would shortly all be tied back together. The web of stories intertwined different times together beautifully.
Quotes and takeaways:
- I’ve been an actor my entire life: I wrote my own lines, I directed my own scenes, I started my own plays. I sold my own legend.
- History is so beautiful and at the time we’re living we don’t always realize it.
- Ali kept a collection of his favorite quotes and anecdotes, just like me!
- Ali called random numbers and wished them a merry Christmas. He would’ve been perfect for this current social media world we live in! (Though it’s said that he put Islam above all else, but he called and wished people merry Christmas? This shows the powerful imprint your upbringing has since he was raised Christian and then still very much lived in a culture obsessed with Christmas.)
- Only count the miles after the pain sets in. “It’s what you can do after you’re tired that counts in the ring.”
- (On conservative dressing and clothes) Everything God made of importance is covered and protected: oil, pearls, diamonds, etc.
- Ali would pick up homeless families and put them in his guest house, or put them in a hotel and pay in advance for weeks or months.
- Love the story about going to Miya’s school proclaiming her as his daughter and walking throughout the neighborhood holding hands so everyone could see them together.
- Homeless man that punched Ali after an autograph just to have a good story.
- You can’t serve god because he doesn’t need you. You serve him by serving people. When you reject and turn people away you’re rejecting the one that created you.
- Burt Sugar on Ali: if God didn’t create him somebody would’ve invented him.
- When asked what the hardest part of boxing was Ali said the women.
- Greatness outweighs all sins. (People aren’t mad at him anymore for his draft dodging, being a Muslim, or cheating on his wives.)
- Elvis and Ali at spooneys for surprise show.
- Ali’s house was used in Rocky 3.
- 2,189th star on Hollywood walk of fame is on a wall as to not have Muhammad’s name disrespected. Very cool.
- Quoting Louise L. Hay’s best-selling book “you can heal your life”: we’re all victims of victims.
- “We all live in a world of limitation, but some people see further than others.” Muhammad Ali
Secondly, the sometimes seeming fluidity of time throughout the book kept things interesting. At times I’d wonder if I fell asleep as what I was reading didn’t align with what I thought was last read but it would shortly all be tied back together. The web of stories intertwined different times together beautifully.
Quotes and takeaways:
- I’ve been an actor my entire life: I wrote my own lines, I directed my own scenes, I started my own plays. I sold my own legend.
- History is so beautiful and at the time we’re living we don’t always realize it.
- Ali kept a collection of his favorite quotes and anecdotes, just like me!
- Ali called random numbers and wished them a merry Christmas. He would’ve been perfect for this current social media world we live in! (Though it’s said that he put Islam above all else, but he called and wished people merry Christmas? This shows the powerful imprint your upbringing has since he was raised Christian and then still very much lived in a culture obsessed with Christmas.)
- Only count the miles after the pain sets in. “It’s what you can do after you’re tired that counts in the ring.”
- (On conservative dressing and clothes) Everything God made of importance is covered and protected: oil, pearls, diamonds, etc.
- Ali would pick up homeless families and put them in his guest house, or put them in a hotel and pay in advance for weeks or months.
- Love the story about going to Miya’s school proclaiming her as his daughter and walking throughout the neighborhood holding hands so everyone could see them together.
- Homeless man that punched Ali after an autograph just to have a good story.
- You can’t serve god because he doesn’t need you. You serve him by serving people. When you reject and turn people away you’re rejecting the one that created you.
- Burt Sugar on Ali: if God didn’t create him somebody would’ve invented him.
- When asked what the hardest part of boxing was Ali said the women.
- Greatness outweighs all sins. (People aren’t mad at him anymore for his draft dodging, being a Muslim, or cheating on his wives.)
- Elvis and Ali at spooneys for surprise show.
- Ali’s house was used in Rocky 3.
- 2,189th star on Hollywood walk of fame is on a wall as to not have Muhammad’s name disrespected. Very cool.
- Quoting Louise L. Hay’s best-selling book “you can heal your life”: we’re all victims of victims.
- “We all live in a world of limitation, but some people see further than others.” Muhammad Ali
February 20, 2020
I have read this book twice now. Muhammad Ali was such a remarkable and fascinating man, and getting to read about who he was at home - from one of his daughters - is such a pleasure. If you’re a fan (and even if you’re not): read this book!
February 17, 2022
At Home with Muhammad Ali: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Forgiveness I fondly remember Muhammad Ali as a child growing up in the 70's (both my parents were members of the Nation of Islam and later transitioned to Sunni Islam and LOVED him) and had a chance to revisit him through adult eyes via the excellent Ken Burns PBS documentary. It reminded me that whenever I saw him on TV, he made me smile. The documentary made me want to learn more about him, so I started researching him on YouTube and ran across one of Hana's interviews on a Podcast for Father's Day, which led me to her book. All I can say is congratulations, Hana. Job well done. I read it in 2 days. The love, care, and hard work you put into this book is palpable. What sticks with me is his commitment to, and how he always spoke openly about, Islam. Wow. As an American Muslim, that takes a LOT of courage and conviction, especially for someone on his level, during the time he did it. Whew! Fearless. He reminds me of my Dad in that respect; a warm, kind, man with flaws, who loved God and was trying to get a place in the hereafter.
February 13, 2021
I was a kid in the 70's but I remember Muhammad Ali. He was larger than life. Had he not developed Parkinson's, he might have become an elder statesman serving on Mandela's The Elders given Ali's interest in world peace. This book focuses primarily on his relationship with his daughter Hana and her mother Veronica. Ali married other women before and after Veronica and had children with another woman while married to Veronica. It was hard for me to reconcile his insistence upon living a clean life with the way he conducted his personal affairs. This is the same guy who lost prime years of his boxing career when he took a stand against the Vietnam War! While he loved Hana and Veronica and his other wives and children, he didn't curb his own wants to dedicate himself to only one family. In the end however I believe all of his children and grandchildren were with him when he died--the ultimate sign of respect in my opinion. I loved the ending when we hear some of the actual tapes on which this book is based. He will always be The Greatest.
April 7, 2021
What a beautiful tribute to a father from his adoring daughter.
Funny story: While a student at the University of Louisville from 1977-1981, my friends and I skipped class one afternoon when John Y Brown was campaigning for the governorship. It wasn't that we wanted to see either him or his wife, Phyllis George Brown; we wanted to see Muhammad Ali who was with them. My friend Charlie went over to stand by Muhammad Ali and to say hello. Charlie was amazed that he was as tall as Muhammad Ali, but then he looked at Ali's hands and to this day, remembers the size of them. But more importantly, he remembers Ali looking him in the eye and thanking him for taking time out of his classes to come say hello. Just a small action by Ali, but one that my friend Charlie cherishes to this day.
Funny story: While a student at the University of Louisville from 1977-1981, my friends and I skipped class one afternoon when John Y Brown was campaigning for the governorship. It wasn't that we wanted to see either him or his wife, Phyllis George Brown; we wanted to see Muhammad Ali who was with them. My friend Charlie went over to stand by Muhammad Ali and to say hello. Charlie was amazed that he was as tall as Muhammad Ali, but then he looked at Ali's hands and to this day, remembers the size of them. But more importantly, he remembers Ali looking him in the eye and thanking him for taking time out of his classes to come say hello. Just a small action by Ali, but one that my friend Charlie cherishes to this day.
August 29, 2021
This was not the greatest book. Haha. But being "the greatest" is debatable and hard to live up to. Muhammad Ali was bigger than life and seemingly full of himself. But he was bigger than life and knew he was full of himself. This was a fun look at his personal life with lots of snippets from Ali himself. It offered glimpses of his career as it related to his family, but was focused definitely on the relationship of the author with her father. And, the story while maybe not "the greatest" was surprisingly (does that sound fair?) very good; it was entertaining and kept my interest in a man worth knowing about and remembering.
June 30, 2021
Very emotional book. Due to this book, the readers know about the sacral secrets of the Muhammad Ali and his family. The book illustrates the reality of family life of the Champion. Through this information, you can see how Ali did cope with family problems by concealing them in front of the public. After you read the book, you would probably have the feeling of sorrow, because you have to realize that your family members that you love the most will leave one day...
May 12, 2019
This book was all over the place. At one point, you're reading Hana's recollections, then the next paragraph is italics - Muhammad's tapes, then the next is smaller italiics - letters of her mother. The whole venture kind of made me dizzy so it was good that I was reading it in bed. I loved all the photos though.
November 6, 2019
I thought it was a very good book. But Hana sometimes repeated the same things and it was difficult for me to understand which event happened when because it is not really chronological. But I loved the book very much apart from these things. Hana writes this memoir brilliantly.
November 2, 2020
I really enjoyed the audio version of this! Hana is gifted at impressions. Muhummad is portrayed as a lovable but not perfect father. I laughed several times. I only wish that the editor would have cut out the duplicitous stories. Popsicles, Hana's whines for coffee, etc.
April 26, 2022
Even if you aren't a huge Ali fan.... there is a beautiful story at the heart of this which will mean you can't put this down. Loving written and captures a story we have not heard from the family itself. This is a real triumph!!
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