On November 13, 2018, Michelle Obama’s highly-anticipated memoir, Becoming, was released, and became a big hit across the country, resulting in its stunning sales - 900,000 copies during its first day. The book quickly soared to the top of the New York Times Bestseller chart, receiving a lot of positive feedback from the readers.
Becoming gives a window into the former First Lady’s life, starting with her impecunious childhood in the cramped brick bungalow in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago that belonged to Robbie, her mother’s aunt. The book then carries the readers through her years in Princeton, her well-paying, yet boring career as a lawyer at Sidley & Austin to her time as a First Lady struggling to balance the demands of her kids and her stressful job in the White House.
Through her writing, Obama proves that she is a master of words, who pays close attention to details. The pictures she paints in the reader’s mind are incredibly vivid and raw. She pours in every word, every story, a touch of pride and genuineness, which helps the reader connect with her life on such a personal level as if they were actually living in her life. The book also offers a profound reflection and an excellent storytelling element, creating a mesmerizingly smooth flow across the pages, delivering the reader from one subject to another, without them realizing the transformation of subject.
How she separates the book is what particularly stands out to me. She, unlike other authors, doesn’t title every chapter. She breaks the book down into three parts: Becoming me, Becoming us, and Becoming more, which reflects the kind of person she is - clear, direct, and smart.
Michelle also mentions politics in her book, showing the reader the dark side of it in a no-nonsense, practical way. However, she isn’t trying to gravitate the reader to another party; she’s merely telling her own story - how politics affects her family, how it changed her perspective over time and how she ended up where she is in life. The book also shows how racism is alive and well and the difficulty someone of color has to face in order to succeed.
To say that Becoming is a good book would be an understatement. The book is nothing but a reservoir of inspiration and idealism that has awaken me to the idea of becoming someone better than who I am now. The book came to my life when I needed it the most; it helped clarify the purpose of my life, encouraging me to beat the odds to bring out the positive change for society. I would strongly recommend this book to everybody regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum.
Becoming gives a window into the former First Lady’s life, starting with her impecunious childhood in the cramped brick bungalow in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago that belonged to Robbie, her mother’s aunt. The book then carries the readers through her years in Princeton, her well-paying, yet boring career as a lawyer at Sidley & Austin to her time as a First Lady struggling to balance the demands of her kids and her stressful job in the White House.
Through her writing, Obama proves that she is a master of words, who pays close attention to details. The pictures she paints in the reader’s mind are incredibly vivid and raw. She pours in every word, every story, a touch of pride and genuineness, which helps the reader connect with her life on such a personal level as if they were actually living in her life. The book also offers a profound reflection and an excellent storytelling element, creating a mesmerizingly smooth flow across the pages, delivering the reader from one subject to another, without them realizing the transformation of subject.
How she separates the book is what particularly stands out to me. She, unlike other authors, doesn’t title every chapter. She breaks the book down into three parts: Becoming me, Becoming us, and Becoming more, which reflects the kind of person she is - clear, direct, and smart.
Michelle also mentions politics in her book, showing the reader the dark side of it in a no-nonsense, practical way. However, she isn’t trying to gravitate the reader to another party; she’s merely telling her own story - how politics affects her family, how it changed her perspective over time and how she ended up where she is in life. The book also shows how racism is alive and well and the difficulty someone of color has to face in order to succeed.
To say that Becoming is a good book would be an understatement. The book is nothing but a reservoir of inspiration and idealism that has awaken me to the idea of becoming someone better than who I am now. The book came to my life when I needed it the most; it helped clarify the purpose of my life, encouraging me to beat the odds to bring out the positive change for society. I would strongly recommend this book to everybody regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum.