Surpassing Certainty

Surpassing Certainty: Lessons from My Twenties is a memoir authored by Janet Mock and published in 2017. Serving as a follow-up to her 2014 bestseller Redefining Realness, which recounted her early years and adolescence, this second volume centers on her experiences during young adulthood. The book was met with positive critical acclaim.

Publication

Released on June 13, 2017, through the Atria division of Simon & Schuster, Surpassing Certainty continues the narrative established in Mock's initial memoir, Redefining Realness. The title draws inspiration from a quote by Audre Lorde concerning the courage and vulnerability involved in voicing one’s truth.

Content

Picking up where her first memoir left off, Surpassing Certainty delves into Mock’s twenties, emphasizing the obstacles and societal expectations she confronted and sought to transcend during this pivotal phase of her life.

Reception

Jennifer Finney Boylan of The New York Times praised Surpassing Certainty for situating its story within a larger framework of human rights while chronicling Mock’s personal evolution—from working in a strip club in Honolulu to becoming an editor at People magazine, as well as navigating the conclusion of her initial marriage. Cosmopolitan endorsed the memoir as essential reading for individuals in their twenties, and Elle featured it among three recommended "must-read" titles for June 2017.