Becoming by Michelle Obama
So, I dilly dallied a bit before reading this book (as I already had a long list of intended reads for the year). But I eventually did and I do not regret doing so. In this light, below is my review of the book. Michelle Obama’s Becoming is an autobiography broken down into chronological sections. This memoir begins at her childhood and ends at life after the white house. Eloquently written, it is as descriptive as it is narrative. It’s a bit on the wordy side but I have divided its review into 4 main parts:
She emphasizes how her parents did everything within their power to ensure that she and her brother, Craig had enough opportunities at their disposal in life. I also saw parents that taught their children to take responsibility for all their decisions and own up to their actions.
She describes her educational experience and the people she met along the way. She talks about racism amd marginalism. Also about resilience and acceptance. Ivy league schooled, she speaks about her journey of learning that life was more than just trying to get a good job and have a nice house- that it was more than just trying to be safe.
She writes about being married to a human who saw no impossibilities. A man who believed that he could change the world. She talks about motherhood and her kids. She didn’t necessarily believe in Barack’s ambition to run for president at first because of the toll it would take on their family.
She also writes about life in the white house. The initial culture shock,the expectations,the life of having everything you said or did judged by the world. The struggle to keep her kids out of the public eye. The self imposed pressure for her family to not screw up especially as they were setting a new trend. She also talks about her pet projects and her passions. **Overall, I learnt from this book as I took a mind journey through Michelle’s growth, fails, wins, and griefs. I loved her realness, honesty and intensity (you could feel her soul within the pages of her book). Definitely worth the read.
