Kamala Harris’s political memoir 107 Days became one of the most closely watched books of 2025. Published by Simon & Schuster on September 23, the book recounts the extraordinary 107-day period between Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and Election Day.
The memoir quickly became a publishing success. Simon & Schuster said 107 Days sold 350,000 copies across formats during its first week. Publishers Weekly subsequently recorded the book at No. 1 on its hardcover frontlist nonfiction chart.
Harris Offers a More Candid Account of 2024
The central appeal of 107 Days is its first-person account of an unusually compressed presidential campaign. Harris became the Democratic nominee after Biden ended his reelection campaign in July 2024, giving her just over three months to build a national campaign.
The publisher describes the book as a behind-the-scenes account based partly on Harris’s reflections and journal material. Simon & Schuster’s official book page says the memoir examines the campaign from Biden’s withdrawal through Election Day.
The Biden Relationship Takes Center Stage
One of the book’s most consequential revelations concerns Biden’s decision to seek another term. Harris writes that she came to view the decision as “recklessness” in retrospect, while also explaining why she felt unable to challenge him publicly at the time.
Reuters reported that Harris criticized the decision while denying that she believed there had been a deliberate White House cover-up of Biden’s condition. Her account has therefore become part of the broader debate over the 2024 Democratic campaign and Biden’s late withdrawal.
The Running-Mate Decision
The memoir also provides Harris’s account of choosing her vice-presidential running mate. She writes that Pete Buttigieg was initially attractive as a potential partner but that she ultimately selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Reporting based on the memoir also describes Harris’s concerns about Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and the political risks surrounding different choices. CNN’s reporting on excerpts documented Harris’s reasoning and the internal debate over the ticket.
Why the Book Became a Publishing Story
The commercial response gave 107 Days significance beyond political commentary. Its first-week sales placed it among the strongest memoir debuts of the recent publishing era, according to Simon & Schuster. Forbes reported that its 350,000-copy first week represented the fourth-largest memoir debut since 2023, based on publisher figures.
The book also reached No. 1 on the Publishers Weekly hardcover nonfiction chart. Its continuing appearances on bestseller lists demonstrated sustained reader interest in the 2024 campaign and its aftermath.
A Memoir That Keeps the 2024 Campaign in Focus
107 Days does not settle the competing interpretations of why Harris lost the 2024 election. Instead, it provides Harris’s account of the decisions, constraints and relationships that shaped her unusually short campaign.
Its publishing performance shows that readers remained interested in the internal story behind one of the most consequential presidential campaigns in recent U.S. political history. The memoir’s revelations about Biden, the running-mate search and Harris’s own campaign decisions have ensured that the 2024 election remains a major subject of political publishing.
For readers trying to understand the campaign from Harris’s perspective, 107 Days offers a firsthand account of the 107 days that transformed the 2024 presidential race.
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