Becoming by Michelle Obama

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Becoming by Michelle Obama



“I’m an ordinary person who found herself on an extraordinary journey. In sharing my story, I hope to help create space for other stories and other voices, to widen the pathway for who belongs and why.”

                I didn’t rush to read this book. A lot of it had to do with my own mental space and stressing about the state of the union. Would this book written by the first Black First Lady of the United States really give hope or would it be just another reminder of how far we’ve fallen? I decided instead to read this book as my first #readBlackwomen selection for this February for Black History month. I finished it in three days and if life hadn’t intruded, I would have finished it one day. This book is incredible.

                Michelle Obama is the only person who should ever be allowed to write about Michelle Obama No one will have more intimate knowledge of her life, and no one will ever be able to articulate in anyway near as beautifully as she did the story of her life. It begins in the Southside Chicago, meanders back and forth between there and the east coast as she goes to university, eventually meets Barack and starts a family. Then there’s the gradual rise in his career that landed them in the White House. But these are all the things we’ve known for years. Michelle in this book addresses everything we didn’t know. From her need to be a perfectionist in school, to her experiences at Princeton and Harvard, to meeting and initially dismissing Barack. Each chapter tells a story, intricately and succinctly, that allows the reader to learn more about her, feel closer to her and relate to her in ways we may never have imagined.

                I’m glad I waited to read this book. This month is meant to be a celebration and if there is anyone, I genuinely want to celebrate it’s Michelle Obama. I hope she has found so much joy now that they are out of the White House. Even after reading this book, I could never truly understand just how stressful her position as FLOTUS could have been and how stressful it may be to move on now. I genuinely wish them the best. I’m highly recommending this book not just because of how well it’s written but because Michelle’s story is a unique one. More unique than I think most may realize. But it was one that can be achieved again. I hope this book leave people inspired to become more. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.

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