Biden is scheduled to publish his memoirs, “Promise Me, America,” after the midterm elections in November

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Joe Biden will publish a memoir called “Promise Me, America” that he says will touch on everything from the economy to his decision to abandon his reelection bid.

The memoir is scheduled to be released on November 17, publisher Little, Brown & Company told The Associated Press. The timing of the book — two weeks after the midterm elections in which Democrats are seeking to regain control of Congress — could raise concerns within Biden’s party by thrusting him back into the spotlight.

Democrats remain divided over Biden’s legacy, with many blaming his ill-fated determination to run for a second term for Republican President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Leaders hope to keep the fall campaign focused on Trump and his record, and any leaks or promotional efforts before votes are cast could spark frustration.

“‘Promise Me, America’ is about the challenges we face as a nation. It’s about the decisions I made and why I made them,” Biden said in a video statement accompanying Wednesday’s announcement. “It’s about why I chose to run for re-election and why I chose to step down.”

Reports about Biden’s book have been circulating for more than a year, and the former president himself has referenced it during his public statements, appearing to indicate at one point that it would be released before the November election.

Biden, who will turn 84 three days after “Promise Me America,” is published, has long presented himself as a supporter of norms and traditions; Presidential memoirs are one of them. With few exceptions, contemporary presidents since Harry Truman in the 1950s have published books about their years in the White House. Like almost all of his predecessors, Biden did not work on the book alone, but was assisted by a “small editorial team,” according to the publisher. Little Brown declined to reveal financial details for “Promise Me, America,” even though the bosses usually reach deals worth at least seven figures.

The book’s title reflects a memoir Biden wrote in 2017 called “Promise Me, Daddy,” which centered on the death of his son, Beau Biden.

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As a candidate, Biden pledged to “reclaim the soul” of his country, taking the oath of office amid the COVID-19 pandemic and in the wake of the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, by Trump supporters seeking to stop his certification as president. Biden’s tenure has been marked by a wide range of struggles and accomplishments, from his handling of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East to the passage of ambitious infrastructure projects and economic aid bills. But many readers will likely want to know more about his health during his presidency, including the disastrous June 2024 debate against Trump that led to him abandoning his re-election bid. Kamala Harris, then Vice President, who ran instead, lost decisively to Trump.

Former First Lady Jill Biden wrote in her personal book that her husband appeared so weak and confused during the debate that she feared he was having a stroke. In her book, “A View from the East Wing,” published in June, she noted that the White House initially said he had a cold.

“I think the biggest lesson for us is that if you don’t explain something well enough, the question won’t go away,” she wrote. “No sufficiently satisfactory explanation has been given for Joe’s debate performance, and many people have never gotten over it.”

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Biden was the oldest man to serve as president and his health had been a source of speculation throughout much of his term. Biden and his advisors in the White House faced severe criticism from Democrats and Republicans for allegedly hiding the extent of his problems. A notable book from 2025, “Original Sin” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, was titled “President Biden’s Retreat, His Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.”

That year, Biden announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Biden’s previous books also include “Promises to Keep,” an election work published to promote his presidential bid in 2008, when Barack Obama was the eventual nominee and Biden as his running mate. “Promise Me America” came out during a year in which nonfiction sales were down and few political books were popular, though recent bestsellers have included Vice President J.D. Vance’s “Communion,” and an inside account of Trump’s second term, by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, “Regime Change.”

A Little, Brown spokesman said Biden plans to tour on behalf of the book and give interviews. Biden said in his video announcement that many people were asking him how he was doing.

“I’ve been spending a lot of time with my family. I’m dealing with a cancer diagnosis, I’m getting treatment, and things are going well,” he said. “I want to thank everyone who offered their prayers, support and well wishes. It has meant the world to me and Jill.”