Status
Available
Publication
Crown Publishing Group (2018), Edition: 1st, 448 pages
Description
Biography & Autobiography. African American Nonfiction. Nonfiction. HTML:An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ? WATCH THE EMMY-NOMINATED NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY ? OPRAH??S BOOK CLUB PICK ? NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER ? ONE OF ESSENCE??S 50 MOST IMPACTFUL BLACK BOOKS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America??the first African American to serve in that role??she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare. In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her??from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world??s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it??in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations??and who… (more)
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Media reviews
The summary of Obama’s White House initiatives relies on promotional language and well-worn anecdotes, and the book’s final pages are just a shade away from an overt advertisement for the Obama Foundation. The memoir’s “bombshell” revelations, which the media has projected as revelations
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of the female condition writ large—a discussion of Obama’s use of fertility treatment to conceive her daughters, and of a period of her marriage in which “frustrations began to rear up often and intensely”—belie how much the rest of the text withholds. Show Less
I suspect that some of Becoming’s power lies in the ways it employs the techniques of a novel more than those of a typical political memoir—in its honesty about human nature and ambivalence, yes, but also in its colorful and idiosyncratic details ... in its willingness to let anecdotes speak
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for themselves rather than pedantically spelling out their lessons. Show Less
Becoming is frequently funny, sometimes indignant or enraged, and when Michelle describes her father’s early death from multiple sclerosis it turns rawly emotional.
But despite how close we get to her voice here, it’s never quite close enough. She lets us into all kinds of memories, including tender recollections, romantic dates, and triumphant moments on the campaign trail. But for all her candidness, there is still a veil of privacy around the inner
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workings of this reluctant public figure. She draws the reader in, but pauses at arm’s length. Maybe this is all we can expect, in text, from this woman with so much presence. As she says herself, she’s more of a hugger. Show Less
Even if Becoming is not always interesting, it is much more interesting than it needed to be to qualify as a successful first lady memoir. And as an example of how to walk the tightrope — how to seem charming but not like an intellectual lightweight; how to get things done without seeming
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threatening; how to do all of the impossible things we demand of women in general, of first ladies in particular, and of the first black first lady as an absolute — Becoming is a straight-up master class. Show Less
Becoming is still a political memoir; it functions partly to solidify Barack Obama’s legacy as a complex and multilayered milestone for the country. The book makes the case for the Obama family as definitively American, for Michelle Obama’s concerns as worries that derive from the universal
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anxieties of marriage and motherhood. Still, Becoming is satisfying for the quiet moments in which Mrs. Obama, the woman who supported a black man named Barack all the way to the presidency, gets to let down her hair and breathe as Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, girl of the South Side. Show Less
Her honesty translates. More importantly, her intention translates, to remind her country of what’s being lost — what she witnessed during the Obama years, what guided their presidency: “a sense of progress, the comfort of compassion…. A glimmer of the world as it could be.” May decency
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reign again. Show Less
But mirroring the constraints of what she could do and say as first lady, she is also restrained in her writing here. She doesn't question the world of the White House here the way she thoughtfully appraises 1970s South Side Chicago.
And while Obama is clearly passionate about her top causes as
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first lady, such as gardening with kids and meeting veterans' families, ultimately this is a section where Obama seems most like any politician, lapsing far more often into the policy speak that peppered the early chapters.
Which is to say: This is where her protective walls seem to go up.
The question is how miffed to get about this. On the one hand, Michelle Obama, like any former first lady, doesn't owe us any juicy details about her life. On the other hand, she is writing a memoir here, complete with a nationwide book tour. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
People who hate Michelle Obama for being Michelle Obama will hate this book. Oftentimes, even if they have not bothered to read it. For those of us who admire her, it's a wonderful book. I do admire the first lady, but I didn't know much about her other than what mainstream media told me. This look
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into her life, her childhood, her family was fascinating to me. She told me of her faults as well as her good points. She knows she was lucky as well as hard-working to become the woman she did. She also gives us looks at her and President Obama's life together, in and out of the Whitehouse. Considering all the inexcusable insults that have been hurled at this first family, she is remarkably gracious. Although she will never forgive trump, and I don't blame her, she did not expose much of the hate thrown at her. This book makes me sad for our country right now, but hope that it can become great again. In addition to being a beautifully written book, the reading by the author was lovely. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cariola
Michelle Obama's memoir was exactly what I expected it to be: honest, thoughtful, endearing, uplifting, and optimistic. Exactly what I needed, considering the current political environment. She walks us through her childhood in Chicago with stories about her brother, parents, grandparents, aunts
Obviously not a book for Trump fans. But if you find yourself longing for the good old days of, say 2015, you'll enjoy this memoir.
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and uncles--the extended family that helped to raise her. Their love and support helped to give her the confidence to apply to several Ivy League colleges, earn her law degree, and practice with a successful Chicago law firm where one of her tasks was to supervise a young legal intern named Barack Obama. As we've heard, it wasn't love at first sight, but Michelle was eventually won over by his enthusiasm and his drive to make the world a better place. She includes a lot of humor in her book, like the night when she turned in bed to find Barack gazing at the ceiling. When she asked what he was thinking about, he replied, "Income inequality"--not exactly the answer that she had expected. Michelle takes us through her days as the spouse of an up and coming politician, her struggles to keep the family connected, adjusting to life in the White House, and the hurt she felt after some ugly and unfair critical comments. It's hard to read this book without stopping every few pages and saying to yourself, "God, I miss the Obamas. I miss the compassion, I miss the decency." Obviously not a book for Trump fans. But if you find yourself longing for the good old days of, say 2015, you'll enjoy this memoir.
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LibraryThing member SandyAMcPherson
I had to do some pondering about my thoughts on this book. There were many interesting glimpses into the life of ordinary folks struggling to reach a better living than their parents, so those passages drew me in. I thoroughly admire the Obama's and, as First Lady, I thought Michelle achieved some
Writing this review a couple week's later, what particularly sticks with me, was the flabbergasting revelation of the acrimony between the two American political parties, which paralyzed Congress. The political rivalry was so intense, that the good governance of the country lost out to the sentiment that "blocking the Democrat's proposals was more important than approving funding to hire more teachers and first responders in natural disasters". It is a matter of record that the Republican party goal was for Obama to be a 'one-term' president . How utterly abysmal that prioritizing some possible future ascendancy sacrificed support for the common citizenry.
I highly recommend this memoir for the insights into family life in struggling black American households and then later, for 8 years in the White House. The writing flowed beautifully and was so articulate.
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remarkable results in her ventures. The political aspects of running for office and coping with life in the spotlight and all the prejudices seemed kind of flat in the telling and less engaging. Reading between the lines, I can guess it was terribly discouraging and a downright ignorant circumstance.Writing this review a couple week's later, what particularly sticks with me, was the flabbergasting revelation of the acrimony between the two American political parties, which paralyzed Congress. The political rivalry was so intense, that the good governance of the country lost out to the sentiment that "blocking the Democrat's proposals was more important than approving funding to hire more teachers and first responders in natural disasters". It is a matter of record that the Republican party goal was for Obama to be a 'one-term' president . How utterly abysmal that prioritizing some possible future ascendancy sacrificed support for the common citizenry.
I highly recommend this memoir for the insights into family life in struggling black American households and then later, for 8 years in the White House. The writing flowed beautifully and was so articulate.
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LibraryThing member Brightman
Straight on honest...
LibraryThing member Tytania
Takeaways:
- She really didn't want it - the presidency, and its impact on her family.
- She is so, so, so devoted to her daughters.
- She loves Barack.
- Barack is a great guy, and so, so, so devoted to his daughters.
Extraordinary parenting under extraordinary circumstances.
And the other major
Quibbles? Maybe Barack comes across as a little TOO perfect here, but, see point three. She is - they are - obviously still in love. She mentions the little "fist bump" she once gave him during some nationally televised appearance, and I remember it - such an intimate little moment.
And hey, maybe he IS perfect. Sure holding up as pretty well, as a president, in hindsight, and in comparison.
- She really didn't want it - the presidency, and its impact on her family.
- She is so, so, so devoted to her daughters.
- She loves Barack.
- Barack is a great guy, and so, so, so devoted to his daughters.
Extraordinary parenting under extraordinary circumstances.
And the other major
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takeaway is the humility. She gets it from her mother (a great character), who always brushed aside over-glowing compliments on the accomplishments of her two kids, Craig and Michelle, with: they're not special. "The South Side is full of kids like that." Michelle repeats it - thinking of her grade school classmates, "I wasn't any better than them." She was just lucky, lucky to have an advocate in her mother, who yanked her out of a bad classroom; and lucky not to get randomly shot in a drive-by, like kids in her old neighborhood need to fear today.Quibbles? Maybe Barack comes across as a little TOO perfect here, but, see point three. She is - they are - obviously still in love. She mentions the little "fist bump" she once gave him during some nationally televised appearance, and I remember it - such an intimate little moment.
And hey, maybe he IS perfect. Sure holding up as pretty well, as a president, in hindsight, and in comparison.
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LibraryThing member varwenea
I chose to read ‘Becoming’ because I wanted to pay homage to a person who have stayed sincere, strong, and regal, despite all the criticisms, mud-slinging, and name-calling. Even in this book where she had absolute authority to speak as she pleases, she maintained her composure and was elegant
Becoming is divided into three sections:
‘Becoming Me’ – Her youth and her upbringing, her parents striving to give her and her brother the education that would propel them out of the Southside Chicago neighborhood
‘Becoming Us’ – The story of Barack and Michelle, her senior at their law firm to his junior, his eventual entry into politics including state senator, ending at his winning the presidential election. This is the biggest portion as she transitions through multiple cycles, when she finds herself “… becoming a different kind of Mrs. – a Mrs. Defined by the Mr.”
‘Becoming More’ – Her role as the First Lady, or FLoTUS, till their departure from the White House.
Throughout the book, I found effecting insights, especially in the section ‘Becoming More’. I’ve included some in the quotes section below. It’s silly to state the obvious, but I’ll say it anyway. This book won’t turn anyone into her fan, if one had been amongst the mud-slingers. It will affirm positive opinions you may have. She reinforces her stance to NOT run for office in the epilogue of the book. After reading this, everyone will understand why.
I listened to the audiobook for 3/4 of it so I can hear her voice and finished the rest via the physical book to see the photos. I’ll probably still listen to the audiobook for the last portion so I can hear her joy in the triumph of her initiatives and her angst in learning of the pussy-grabbing Cheeto video. Sigh.
Some quotes:
It’s not easy to be outside.
“…If anyone in our family wanted to step outside onto the Truman Balcony – the lovely arcing terrace that overlooked the South Lawn, and the only semiprivate outdoor space we had at the White House – we needed to first alert the Secret Service so that they could shut down the section of E Street that was in view of the balcony, clearing out the flocks of tourists who gathered outside the gates there at all hours of the day and night. There were many times when I thought I’d go out to sit on the balcony, but then reconsidered, realizing the hassle I would cause, the vacations I’d be interrupting, all because I thought it would be nice to have a cup of tea outdoors.”
On Leadership:
“Everything was big and everything was relevant. I read a set of news clips sent by my staff each morning and knew that Barack would be obliged to absorb and respond to every new development. He’d be blamed for things he couldn’t control, pushed to solve frightening problems in faraway nations, expected to plug a hole at the bottom of the ocean. His job, it seemed, was to take the chaos and metabolize it somehow into calm leadership – every day of the week, every week of the year.”
On then 8-year old Sasha:
“…Walking around her classroom at Sidwell’s parents’ night that fall, I’d come across a short ‘What I Did on My Summer Vacation’ essay she’d authored, hanging alongside those of her classmates on one of the walls. ‘I went to Rome and I met the Pope,’ Sasha had written. ‘He was missing part of his thumb.’
I could not tell you what Pope Benedict XVI’s thumb looks like, whether some part of it isn’t there. But we’d taken an observant, matter-of-fact eight-year-old to Rome, Moscow, and Accra, and this is what she’d brought back. Her view of history was, at that point, waist-high.”
On teenager Malia:
“In general, I understood that it was better for all of us not to acknowledge the hate or dwell on the risk, even when others felt compelled to bring it up. Malia would eventually join the high school tennis team at Sidwell, which practiced on the school courts on Wisconsin Avenue. She was there one day when a woman, the mother of another student, approached her, gesturing at the busy road running past the courts. ‘Aren’t you afraid out here?’ she asked.
My daughter, as she grew, was learning to use her voice, discovering her own ways to reinforce the boundaries she needed. ‘If you’re asking me whether I ponder my death every day,’ she said to the woman, as politely as she could, ‘the answer is no.’”
On the underlying efforts and that helping hand – I know this too well:
“There had been so many times in my life when I’d found myself the only woman of color – or even the only woman, period – sitting at a conference table or attending a board meeting or mingling at one VIP gathering or another. If I was the first at some of these things, I wanted to make sure that in the end I wasn’t the only – that others were coming up behind me… The important parts of my story, I was realizing, lay less in the surface value of my accomplishments and more in what undergirded them – the many small ways I’d been buttressed over the years, and the people who’d helped build my confidence over time. I remembered them all, every person who’d ever waved me forward, doing his or her best to inoculate me against the slights and indignities I was certain to encounter in the places I was headed – all those environments built primarily for and by people who were neither black nor female.”
On Nelson Mandela:
“Mandela had gone to jail for his principles. He’d missed seeing his kids grow up, and then he’d missed seeing many of his grandkids grow up, too. All this without bitterness. All this still believing that the better nature of his country would at some point prevail. He’d worked and waited, tolerant and undiscouraged, to see it happen.”
On Gun Violence (in Chicago) – disheartening:
“At one point, one of the social workers interjected, saying to the group, ‘Eighty degrees and sunny! Everyone in the circle began nodding, ruefully. I wasn’t sure why. ‘Tell Mrs. Obama,’ she said, ‘What goes through your mind when you wake up in the morning and hear the weather forecast is eighty and sunny?’
She clearly knew the answer, but wanted me to hear it.
A day like that, the Harper students all agreed, was no good. When the weather was nice, the gangs got more active and the shooting got worse.”
On Racial Injustice:
“…For more than six years now, Barack and I had lived with an awareness that we ourselves were a provocation. As minorities across the country were gradually beginning to take on more significant roles in politics, business, and entertainment, our family had become the most prominent example. Our presence in the White House had been celebrated by millions of Americans, but it also contributed to a reactionary sense of fear and resentment among others. The hatred was old and deep and as dangerous as ever.”
On Misogyny and the expression ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’:
“…I’d been mocked and threatened many times now, cut down for being black, female, and vocal. I’d felt the derision directed at my body, the literal space I occupied in the world. I’d watched Donald Trump stalk Hillary Clinton during a debate, following her around as she spoke, standing too close, trying to diminish her presence with his. I can hurt you and get away with it. Women endure entire lifetimes of these indignities – in the form of catcalls, groping, assault, oppression. These things injure us. They sap our strength. Some of the cuts are so small they’re barely visible. Others are huge and gaping, leaving scars that never heal. Either way, they accumulate. We carry them everywhere, to and from school and work, at home while raising our children, at our places of worship, anytime we try to advance.”
On ‘Becoming’:
“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end. I became a mother, but I still have a lot to learn from and give to my children. I became a wife, but I continue to adapt to and be humbled by what it means to truly love and make a life with another person. I have become, by certain measures, a person of power, and yet there are moments still when I feel insure or unheard.
It's all a process, steps along a path. Becoming requires equal parts patience and rigor. Becoming is never giving up on the idea that there’s more growing to be done.”
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in her words. For that, applause, applause. Becoming is divided into three sections:
‘Becoming Me’ – Her youth and her upbringing, her parents striving to give her and her brother the education that would propel them out of the Southside Chicago neighborhood
‘Becoming Us’ – The story of Barack and Michelle, her senior at their law firm to his junior, his eventual entry into politics including state senator, ending at his winning the presidential election. This is the biggest portion as she transitions through multiple cycles, when she finds herself “… becoming a different kind of Mrs. – a Mrs. Defined by the Mr.”
‘Becoming More’ – Her role as the First Lady, or FLoTUS, till their departure from the White House.
Throughout the book, I found effecting insights, especially in the section ‘Becoming More’. I’ve included some in the quotes section below. It’s silly to state the obvious, but I’ll say it anyway. This book won’t turn anyone into her fan, if one had been amongst the mud-slingers. It will affirm positive opinions you may have. She reinforces her stance to NOT run for office in the epilogue of the book. After reading this, everyone will understand why.
I listened to the audiobook for 3/4 of it so I can hear her voice and finished the rest via the physical book to see the photos. I’ll probably still listen to the audiobook for the last portion so I can hear her joy in the triumph of her initiatives and her angst in learning of the pussy-grabbing Cheeto video. Sigh.
Some quotes:
It’s not easy to be outside.
“…If anyone in our family wanted to step outside onto the Truman Balcony – the lovely arcing terrace that overlooked the South Lawn, and the only semiprivate outdoor space we had at the White House – we needed to first alert the Secret Service so that they could shut down the section of E Street that was in view of the balcony, clearing out the flocks of tourists who gathered outside the gates there at all hours of the day and night. There were many times when I thought I’d go out to sit on the balcony, but then reconsidered, realizing the hassle I would cause, the vacations I’d be interrupting, all because I thought it would be nice to have a cup of tea outdoors.”
On Leadership:
“Everything was big and everything was relevant. I read a set of news clips sent by my staff each morning and knew that Barack would be obliged to absorb and respond to every new development. He’d be blamed for things he couldn’t control, pushed to solve frightening problems in faraway nations, expected to plug a hole at the bottom of the ocean. His job, it seemed, was to take the chaos and metabolize it somehow into calm leadership – every day of the week, every week of the year.”
On then 8-year old Sasha:
“…Walking around her classroom at Sidwell’s parents’ night that fall, I’d come across a short ‘What I Did on My Summer Vacation’ essay she’d authored, hanging alongside those of her classmates on one of the walls. ‘I went to Rome and I met the Pope,’ Sasha had written. ‘He was missing part of his thumb.’
I could not tell you what Pope Benedict XVI’s thumb looks like, whether some part of it isn’t there. But we’d taken an observant, matter-of-fact eight-year-old to Rome, Moscow, and Accra, and this is what she’d brought back. Her view of history was, at that point, waist-high.”
On teenager Malia:
“In general, I understood that it was better for all of us not to acknowledge the hate or dwell on the risk, even when others felt compelled to bring it up. Malia would eventually join the high school tennis team at Sidwell, which practiced on the school courts on Wisconsin Avenue. She was there one day when a woman, the mother of another student, approached her, gesturing at the busy road running past the courts. ‘Aren’t you afraid out here?’ she asked.
My daughter, as she grew, was learning to use her voice, discovering her own ways to reinforce the boundaries she needed. ‘If you’re asking me whether I ponder my death every day,’ she said to the woman, as politely as she could, ‘the answer is no.’”
On the underlying efforts and that helping hand – I know this too well:
“There had been so many times in my life when I’d found myself the only woman of color – or even the only woman, period – sitting at a conference table or attending a board meeting or mingling at one VIP gathering or another. If I was the first at some of these things, I wanted to make sure that in the end I wasn’t the only – that others were coming up behind me… The important parts of my story, I was realizing, lay less in the surface value of my accomplishments and more in what undergirded them – the many small ways I’d been buttressed over the years, and the people who’d helped build my confidence over time. I remembered them all, every person who’d ever waved me forward, doing his or her best to inoculate me against the slights and indignities I was certain to encounter in the places I was headed – all those environments built primarily for and by people who were neither black nor female.”
On Nelson Mandela:
“Mandela had gone to jail for his principles. He’d missed seeing his kids grow up, and then he’d missed seeing many of his grandkids grow up, too. All this without bitterness. All this still believing that the better nature of his country would at some point prevail. He’d worked and waited, tolerant and undiscouraged, to see it happen.”
On Gun Violence (in Chicago) – disheartening:
“At one point, one of the social workers interjected, saying to the group, ‘Eighty degrees and sunny! Everyone in the circle began nodding, ruefully. I wasn’t sure why. ‘Tell Mrs. Obama,’ she said, ‘What goes through your mind when you wake up in the morning and hear the weather forecast is eighty and sunny?’
She clearly knew the answer, but wanted me to hear it.
A day like that, the Harper students all agreed, was no good. When the weather was nice, the gangs got more active and the shooting got worse.”
On Racial Injustice:
“…For more than six years now, Barack and I had lived with an awareness that we ourselves were a provocation. As minorities across the country were gradually beginning to take on more significant roles in politics, business, and entertainment, our family had become the most prominent example. Our presence in the White House had been celebrated by millions of Americans, but it also contributed to a reactionary sense of fear and resentment among others. The hatred was old and deep and as dangerous as ever.”
On Misogyny and the expression ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’:
“…I’d been mocked and threatened many times now, cut down for being black, female, and vocal. I’d felt the derision directed at my body, the literal space I occupied in the world. I’d watched Donald Trump stalk Hillary Clinton during a debate, following her around as she spoke, standing too close, trying to diminish her presence with his. I can hurt you and get away with it. Women endure entire lifetimes of these indignities – in the form of catcalls, groping, assault, oppression. These things injure us. They sap our strength. Some of the cuts are so small they’re barely visible. Others are huge and gaping, leaving scars that never heal. Either way, they accumulate. We carry them everywhere, to and from school and work, at home while raising our children, at our places of worship, anytime we try to advance.”
On ‘Becoming’:
“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end. I became a mother, but I still have a lot to learn from and give to my children. I became a wife, but I continue to adapt to and be humbled by what it means to truly love and make a life with another person. I have become, by certain measures, a person of power, and yet there are moments still when I feel insure or unheard.
It's all a process, steps along a path. Becoming requires equal parts patience and rigor. Becoming is never giving up on the idea that there’s more growing to be done.”
Show Less
LibraryThing member amillion
I listened to the audio version of this book, and it must be the preferred format (although I want to look at the photos in the printed version) as Michelle reads it herself with so much honesty and emotion, it feels like a personal conversation with her. She makes a story of American history into
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a personal story featuring a real family of modest background. She and Barack become real people with the same struggles we all have... juggling life and work, family, friends, and purpose. The way she protected her girls and their rights to grow up privately while constrained by Secret Service is admirable. Our country was lucky to have the Obamas working so diligently for all Americans for 8 years- it was so sad to hear her reaction to much of it being undone since then. So much echoed my own emotions and distress, though hers came from a much more intense perspective. I look forward to seeing everything else that she "Becomes". Show Less
LibraryThing member lisapeet
This was—beyond any expectations—just lovely. Her voice comes through so clearly throughout, which is both good writing and, I suspect, great cowriting and/or editing, but whatever. It's good to hear from her again. There was a lot that was fun about it, from descriptions of what it's like
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inside the White House (she describes it as a bubble, which sounds about right—she couldn't open a window or go out on the balcony without clearance from the Secret Service) to talk about raising kids and her marriage—which, of course, she went into only as much as it suited her, but still. I'm always fascinated by portraits of other people's marriages and how they negotiate the rough stuff. And it was good to read an account of her husband's administration if only to affirm that no, it wasn't a dream. And a decent president could happen again. Sigh. Anyway, recommended for anyone, really. It was a buoying read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bookish59
Outstanding autobiography of Michelle's life; the early years, her supportive family, the importance of school, her determination to succeed to make her family's sacrifices count. And how it all leads up to meeting, dating, marrying Barack, campaigning for him, his winning the Presidency and
I liked this book because of its honesty, intelligence, and respect and love for her parents, and older brother, and her humble origins. She shares her personal feelings about many experiences good and bad. She is loyal to her friends and colleagues, optimistic and hopeful, and most importantly a loving, caring daughter, wife, and mother.
Excellent; inspiring and thoughtful.
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re-election. I liked this book because of its honesty, intelligence, and respect and love for her parents, and older brother, and her humble origins. She shares her personal feelings about many experiences good and bad. She is loyal to her friends and colleagues, optimistic and hopeful, and most importantly a loving, caring daughter, wife, and mother.
Excellent; inspiring and thoughtful.
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LibraryThing member cmt100
Just fascinating. The writing is clean and straightforward. The joy is to spend a couple of days with this fascinating and admirable women.
LibraryThing member librarygeek33
TMI I made it through 8 of 16 CDs. A truthful editor could have been useful here. I didn't really want to know not only which buses she took to high school, but also the different route she took after awhile. Descriptions of the leaves falling off of the trees as winter approached were a little TOO
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MUCH. She is leading a fascinating life. Too bad I just couldn't make it through to the most interesting part. Show Less
LibraryThing member kaulsu
A wonderful look into Michelle Obama’s life. Not just the glamour years, but the ordinary years. Her family. Barrack’s family. Kenya. And etc., etc., etc. this is definitely a book to be listened to—only the author ever knows exactly where to put the emphasis. My one complaint is that she
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didn’t have the sense to give us the ending we all wished for.... Show Less
LibraryThing member g33kgrrl
This book was phenomenal. Here's the thing: I made it 90% through before I realized what she did with this book. She'll give you details about her and Barack's dates and engagement but then fill your brain with details about all the policies that are important to her. This is just another part of
She also talks about being a working mother, being a list-driven, step-by-step sort of person in a chaotic sort of world, and is incredibly honest. As a person who has had a career for a while but has only had a child for two years, I felt like I was getting advice I could really use.
I straight-up love this book. It's great.
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the advocacy she started as FLOTUS and in the exact same format that she *describes* in the book: keep it light, but make it real. She also talks about being a working mother, being a list-driven, step-by-step sort of person in a chaotic sort of world, and is incredibly honest. As a person who has had a career for a while but has only had a child for two years, I felt like I was getting advice I could really use.
I straight-up love this book. It's great.
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LibraryThing member brakketh
Inspiring and enjoyable glimpse into Michelle Obama's life.
LibraryThing member quondame
Worth reading, Michele Obama's early life is not nearly as interesting as the woman herself, and the known results do hinder any suspense. The current moment pretty much requires a certain blandness, whether or not there is anything beyond what is said. The isolation of University of Chicago and
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the idea that Princeton was more accessible was interesting as was Michelle Obama's work there. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kiddboyblue
More then anything, this book served as a reminder of what dignity, and goodness in the White House used to be. Despite politics, which Michelle openly admits to not really loving most her life, you cannot deny that this woman has always been a shining example of how someone in such a position
I loved reading about her early childhood and seeing a more in depth look at her life before Obama. I have always thought she was smart and poised, and it appears shes a great writer too. She told her story much in the same way she has lived her public life; beautifully. She did not shy away from being honest when needed, and did not try and downplay her successes and talents.
The only thing that kept from giving the memoir 5 stars was the lack of depth that were written about her more current years and the presidency. For the most part it felt more biography then memoir. This happened, then this happened, and this is how I felt about it.
She didn't really let down the walls or write anything that might make her appear vulnerable. There were no, oh my God I never would have known, moments. For that, the narrative dragged at times. I was hoping for a little more. More of her! I wanted to know more about how she truly felt about people, and would have loved the book to focus more on her thoughts, emotions and insight instead of her day to day this is what I did telling.
Overall, however, i think the book only reinforces how amazing a woman she is and how lucky we were to have such a dignified and wonderful first lady.
It feels even more sad now, with the current climate after finishing this knowing that the Obama's are no longer there, working towards something good.
I hope there is so much more of Michelle to come. I hope she and her husband continue to do their part in progressing the country. I've always been a huge fan of hers and always admired her. Her memoir only helps reinforce that!
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should be. I loved reading about her early childhood and seeing a more in depth look at her life before Obama. I have always thought she was smart and poised, and it appears shes a great writer too. She told her story much in the same way she has lived her public life; beautifully. She did not shy away from being honest when needed, and did not try and downplay her successes and talents.
The only thing that kept from giving the memoir 5 stars was the lack of depth that were written about her more current years and the presidency. For the most part it felt more biography then memoir. This happened, then this happened, and this is how I felt about it.
She didn't really let down the walls or write anything that might make her appear vulnerable. There were no, oh my God I never would have known, moments. For that, the narrative dragged at times. I was hoping for a little more. More of her! I wanted to know more about how she truly felt about people, and would have loved the book to focus more on her thoughts, emotions and insight instead of her day to day this is what I did telling.
Overall, however, i think the book only reinforces how amazing a woman she is and how lucky we were to have such a dignified and wonderful first lady.
It feels even more sad now, with the current climate after finishing this knowing that the Obama's are no longer there, working towards something good.
I hope there is so much more of Michelle to come. I hope she and her husband continue to do their part in progressing the country. I've always been a huge fan of hers and always admired her. Her memoir only helps reinforce that!
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LibraryThing member lauralkeet
I have admired Michelle Obama from the moment she entered the national spotlight, so I was eager to read her life story. In Becoming, she tells that story with grace, insight, and humor, and I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed reading about her childhood, education, and early career, and her quest to
Obama is refreshingly candid, especially when sharing her initial feelings about her husband’s political aspirations, and the media backlash during the presidential campaign and their time in the White House. With a few notable yet extremely tactful exceptions, she refrains from negative comment on the opposing party and the current administration. She is consistently purposeful yet human; there were several times I choked up and got teary-eyed. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of the Obamas, and am confident they will continue having a positive impact on the country, and perhaps beyond.
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find meaning as a professional woman. I equally enjoyed learning more about her relationships with family & friends, and her continuous efforts to maintain those relationships and foster a healthy environment for her children, even as her husband’s political trajectory took their lives in directions few can imagine.Obama is refreshingly candid, especially when sharing her initial feelings about her husband’s political aspirations, and the media backlash during the presidential campaign and their time in the White House. With a few notable yet extremely tactful exceptions, she refrains from negative comment on the opposing party and the current administration. She is consistently purposeful yet human; there were several times I choked up and got teary-eyed. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of the Obamas, and am confident they will continue having a positive impact on the country, and perhaps beyond.
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LibraryThing member bexaplex
Becoming is a touching memoir of Michelle Obama's life, from growing up on the South Side of Chicago to meeting Barack to becoming First Lady. Her humor and pragmatism, and insistence on maintaining the boundary between family life and politics, shine through the pages. I had the book open on my
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table and would dip into a few pages every time I sat down to eat. It was a pleasure to read; good digestive aid :) Show Less
LibraryThing member banjo123
I had too high of expectations starting this book, with so many finding it a 5 star read. Don't get me wrong, I liked the book, but it was more of a 3.5 to 4 star read for me; very good for a famous person autobiography, but not a book that stood out for me, on it's own. The writing was solid, but
My favorite thing about the book was her descriptions of Barack, and her analysis of them as a couple. The two are so different, but with mutual respect were able to pull it off. Barack being the dreamer, the ambitious one, always running late; Michelle with a more conventional outlook, very focused on achievement and organization. It seems that they rubbed off a little on each other, so that Michelle was able to leave corporate law for public service, which was a much better fit for her; and Barack, obviously, benefited from Michelle's solidness.
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not great. I did think that Obama did a good job of keeping the book focussed, which is often a problem with books like this, as there are so many details in anyone's life, it's easy to get side tracked. Obama figured out what her main point was, and she stuck to it. My favorite thing about the book was her descriptions of Barack, and her analysis of them as a couple. The two are so different, but with mutual respect were able to pull it off. Barack being the dreamer, the ambitious one, always running late; Michelle with a more conventional outlook, very focused on achievement and organization. It seems that they rubbed off a little on each other, so that Michelle was able to leave corporate law for public service, which was a much better fit for her; and Barack, obviously, benefited from Michelle's solidness.
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LibraryThing member willszal
I picked up this book primarily for the sake of discussion, as a number of the girls and women around me have been reading it. Given the undertones of racism and privilege, it makes for a good conversation-starter. Otherwise, I generally avoid books written by politicians.
The scope and pace of the
Obama grew up as a lower-middle-class Chicagoan. This being the case, her professional path was "unswerving," to use her terminology. She went to Harvard Law, and went on a partner-track path at a law firm in Chicago. She didn't allow herself to realize she didn't enjoy this work, and never had, until her late twenties, after meeting Barack while he was an intern at her firm.
Given this conservatism, it is understandable the Obama fails to rise to occasion presented by her historic positioning, as the first black First Lady. Although racism (and occasionally sexism) are a backdrop of the text, they never become anything more than that. Despite her speaking to the misogyny and racism of Trump in the end of the book, even this provocation fails to evoke a strong stance.
Having been friends with the daughter of Jesse Jackson, the 1980's black Democratic candidate for President, and having been married by Reverend Jeremiah Wright—both figures aligned with a radical black power platform—it is unfortunate that the Obama's didn't take up their chance to fight for racial equity in the US. One might counter that they didn't have the political collateral for such a move, but neither did Barack's hallmark legislative package—the Affordable Care Act. Obama continues this legacy of striving for social acceptability over justice in her memoir. She would be the first to admit her substantial concern for the opinions of others. The Obama's made the decision to establish themselves as insiders, a place they're more than happy to disdain.
Another thread in the narrative is Obama's disdain for politics, and her emphasis on mothering. At every step of the way, she resisted Barack's ascent. I'm unsure how to interpret these stances. Although I'm understanding of her disdain for the demands of political life, and the fact that she might feel mothering is her most important vocation, maybe Obama regrets her lack of success of the Obama administration, and justifies these regrets with her alibi that she never wanted such a path in the first place.
In conclusion, the book is alright. I would attribute its extreme popularity to the combination of a Trump-induced nostalgia for more neoliberal times, and to the rise of the Me Too movement. It's worth reading at our present moment in the arc of history, but likely won't endure the test of time.
The scope and pace of the
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book was the first thing that I noticed. Roughly the first third of the book focuses on Obama's upbringing, and we don't get around to her time at the White House until after the midway point. This gives the book an especially personal tone.Obama grew up as a lower-middle-class Chicagoan. This being the case, her professional path was "unswerving," to use her terminology. She went to Harvard Law, and went on a partner-track path at a law firm in Chicago. She didn't allow herself to realize she didn't enjoy this work, and never had, until her late twenties, after meeting Barack while he was an intern at her firm.
Given this conservatism, it is understandable the Obama fails to rise to occasion presented by her historic positioning, as the first black First Lady. Although racism (and occasionally sexism) are a backdrop of the text, they never become anything more than that. Despite her speaking to the misogyny and racism of Trump in the end of the book, even this provocation fails to evoke a strong stance.
Having been friends with the daughter of Jesse Jackson, the 1980's black Democratic candidate for President, and having been married by Reverend Jeremiah Wright—both figures aligned with a radical black power platform—it is unfortunate that the Obama's didn't take up their chance to fight for racial equity in the US. One might counter that they didn't have the political collateral for such a move, but neither did Barack's hallmark legislative package—the Affordable Care Act. Obama continues this legacy of striving for social acceptability over justice in her memoir. She would be the first to admit her substantial concern for the opinions of others. The Obama's made the decision to establish themselves as insiders, a place they're more than happy to disdain.
Another thread in the narrative is Obama's disdain for politics, and her emphasis on mothering. At every step of the way, she resisted Barack's ascent. I'm unsure how to interpret these stances. Although I'm understanding of her disdain for the demands of political life, and the fact that she might feel mothering is her most important vocation, maybe Obama regrets her lack of success of the Obama administration, and justifies these regrets with her alibi that she never wanted such a path in the first place.
In conclusion, the book is alright. I would attribute its extreme popularity to the combination of a Trump-induced nostalgia for more neoliberal times, and to the rise of the Me Too movement. It's worth reading at our present moment in the arc of history, but likely won't endure the test of time.
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LibraryThing member MacDad
To be honest, I've never been a fan of memoirs. While I have read a few by celebrities that I've enjoyed because of their humor, too many of the ones by public figures are either preachy self-justifications or selective journeys through careers in which achievements are exaggerated and blame for
And this is at the heart of why I enjoyed Michelle Obama's memoir as much as I did. In It she more than just a summary of her life from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as the First Lady of the United States, but an introspective assessment of what it meant to her. It helps that she writes in a clear and eloquent style with touches of inspiration scattered throughout, as it does that she has no detailed political agenda to promote or a governing legacy to defend. Yet even with these factors taken into consideration there is a real power in her writing, thanks to her candidness about the challenges she faced and how she dealt with them. She conveys a great sense of sincerity in its pages, which comes through best in her self-assessments and the love she feels for her husband and her daughters. While the selectiveness is there (she leaves out certain subjects, such as her time in law school), it's subtle enough to be missed in the flow of her narrative. More importantly, though, is that it feels sincere in a way few memoirists, even candid ones, can achieve successfully. It serves as a powerful reminder of the classiness she exhibited as the First Lady and the good fortune we all enjoyed by having her as a part of American public life.
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failures shifted to others. In them, introspection and honesty are sacrificed in order to present a polished face to history. I know it's human — after all, we all want to be the hero or heroine In our stories — but that doesn't mean I want to waste my time reading them when I can learn so much about the person from the accounts of others.And this is at the heart of why I enjoyed Michelle Obama's memoir as much as I did. In It she more than just a summary of her life from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as the First Lady of the United States, but an introspective assessment of what it meant to her. It helps that she writes in a clear and eloquent style with touches of inspiration scattered throughout, as it does that she has no detailed political agenda to promote or a governing legacy to defend. Yet even with these factors taken into consideration there is a real power in her writing, thanks to her candidness about the challenges she faced and how she dealt with them. She conveys a great sense of sincerity in its pages, which comes through best in her self-assessments and the love she feels for her husband and her daughters. While the selectiveness is there (she leaves out certain subjects, such as her time in law school), it's subtle enough to be missed in the flow of her narrative. More importantly, though, is that it feels sincere in a way few memoirists, even candid ones, can achieve successfully. It serves as a powerful reminder of the classiness she exhibited as the First Lady and the good fortune we all enjoyed by having her as a part of American public life.
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LibraryThing member viviennestrauss
Listening to this being read in the author's own voice made this autobiography SO compelling. I honestly wasn't expecting to cry as much as I did while listening (especially since I listen to audio books while painting.) Anyone who thinks that they are superior to anyone, much less the Obama's
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simply on the basis is being white should be flogged. This made me miss the time of Barack Obama's presidency even more than I already do. What an amazing pair of people, I am both inspired that such people even exist in this world and shamed by my own underachieving self. Show Less
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
In Becoming, Michelle Obama chronicles her life, from young girl, to college student, to lawyer, to meeting a young Barack Obama, to balancing her goals with motherhood and supporting Barack Obama’s political goals, all while trying to find a way to give back and help people. Throughout her
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account, she offers wisdom she gleaned from her experiences, such as finding moments of joy amid turbulent times, writing, “Life was better, always, when we could measure the warmth” (pg. 315). Michelle Obama honestly discusses her fears and her hopes, her struggles and her achievements, making it clear that she succeeded with the help of others and that she worked to be that same force of help. As she writes, “The important parts of my story… lay less in the surface value of my accomplishments and more in what undergirded them – the many small ways I’d been buttressed over the years, and the people who’d helped build my confidence over time. I remembered them all, every person who’d ever waved me forward, doing his or her best to inoculate me against the slights and indignities I was certain to encounter in the places I was headed – all those environments built primarily for and by people who were neither black nor female” (pg. 355). Michelle Obama concludes, “There’s a power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s grace in being willing to known and hear others. This, for me, is how we become” (pg. 421). Her own authentic voice will offer hope to those who need it in these troubling times, encouraging them to think about the people around them and how they can help others and, in doing so, help themselves. Show Less
LibraryThing member Iira
Oh, how this book made me again miss the time when Obamas were in the White House! This was a compelling story of a South Side girl and her journey to FLOTUS. Listening to this audiobook was a huge plus, it made the whole story more compelling and touching. I cried and I laughed. Michelle Obama is
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such a warm and beautiful person, and her voice is so soothing and warm that listening her felt like a true privilege. Show Less
LibraryThing member DonnaMarieMerritt
Hard to believe we had such a classy, intelligent, kind, courageous first family in the White House only a few years ago. This book reminded me of all we've lost since they left. As Michelle Obama says, "Being president doesn't change who you are; it reveals who you are." I miss them. On a lighter
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note, I really enjoyed learning about her youth and her early relationship years with Barack. Well-written, informative, and a must-read. Show Less
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2018-11-13
Physical description
448 p.; 6.39 inches
ISBN
1524763136 / 9781524763138
Other editions
Becoming by Michelle Obama (Hardcover)