The amount of times I ugly cried during this book was obscene. Let’s just get that out of the way right off the bat. Have tissues ready.
When I saw this book was coming out, I wasn’t waiting with baited breaths like everyone I knew, mostly because I’m not really into biographies and I am not all that into politics.
However, when the reviews started pouring in on this book, my interest grew more.
I ended up deciding to try Audible and with my free book credit, I snagged this book and for one reason—it’s narrated by the author.
Summary
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 whose story inspires us to do the same (summary from Goodreads).
Review
If you haven’t read this book yet, don’t read it—LISTEN TO IT! Having Michelle Obama narrate her own book was phenomenal. It felt so much more intimate and personal listening to her voice inflection on important parts and her personality totally came through.
Since I only really listen to audiobooks in the car while I am driving, this book took me forever to finish. However, I was able to savor it because of I only listened to it certain times. I loved how wonderfully executed this book was. There were so many poignant observations and reflections made by Obama and I relished each hour or two I would spend listening to it on the road, and then I would go home and think about what I had listened to for the rest of the day.
She is a fantastic writer and incredibly inspirational. Whatever your political beliefs are, it’s hard to deny that Michelle Obama has a wonderfully inspirational story to tell. Her life and struggles were so easy for me to identify with. I too struggled between staying at home with my boy and continuing to work. Trying to decide if my job was meaningful or not. And if there were ways that I could be doing more. Her story left me feeling so inspired. It was uplifting and beautiful.
I don’t normally cry during books—ever. But this book was a total exception. I was crying just starting the prologue. It was an emotional book because it was so inspiring and uplifting, have tissues handy because you will need them.
One of the things I liked most about this book was that she never really focused on politics as a whole, instead she talked about her family and herself and how she reacted to political life rather than political policy which I thought was huge. I didn’t want to read a political memoir, I wanted to read a story about a real woman and that’s exactly what I got.
Michelle Obama is a class act. I can only hope women read this book and feel inspired by her to be poised, classy, elegant, and regal—because she is all of these things. Five unobjectionable stars for this book.
The Lit Bitch 