How Justice Sonia Sotomayor Drew Inspiration From Her Late Mother For Her Latest Book

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor hasn't had the easiest time in the court lately. Recently, Justice Neil Gorsuch refused to wear a mask in the midst of the Omicron COVID-19 spike after Justice Sotomayor requested it because she is immunocompromised (per NPR). Due to his refusal, Justice Sotomayor worked remotely to try to keep her health safe.

Justice Sotomayor goes into detail about her health concerns in her memoir, "My Beloved World" which came out in 2013. The 315-page book dives deep into her struggles with chronic illness, making her concerns regarding Justice Gorsuch's mask refusal make more sense (via Reuters).

She didn't only dive into her chronic illness in her previous book. Much of what she shares is a personal look into her family life. While she has made history as the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, her career has been shaped by her family. Now, she has written a new book that was deeply inspired by her mother.

After the success of her memoir, Justice Sotomayor decided to try her hand at writing a children's book (via People). The book is inspired by her mother, who passed away in July from cancer. It's titled "Just Help! How to Build a Better World."

Justice Sotomayor's mother, Celina Baez Sotomayor, played an important role in her life. The Puerto Rico native moved to the Bronx in New York City, working as a nurse and raising two children on her own (per NBC News). Much of the sacrifices her mother made inspired her new children's book.

The book encourages children to help out where they can. Justice Sotomayor writes that change doesn't just happen in Washington D.C., it happens from acts of kindness, like cleaning up parks.

Justice Sotomayor said, "Individual acts add up. And if all of us were doing that, we would have a whole lot less unhappiness in the world." These acts of kindness she encourages were inspired by her mother, who brought endless optimism to her life. She gushed, "I have eternal optimism, and I think that's a product of how vibrant a person my own mother was."