Book Summary: Becoming by Michelle Obama
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.
Book Review: Becoming by Michelle Obama
In the highly anticipated memoir Becoming, Michelle Obama chronicles her life from a childhood growing up on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an attorney and executive, and finally her time as First Lady of the United States. Mitchelle Obama’s memoir provides intimate access to both her public and private experiences as an African American woman navigating various institutions and broader society.
Obama structures her life story as a chronological narrative while interweaving major themes related to finding one’s identity, voice, and purpose. She begins with her upbringing in a small apartment in Chicago as the daughter of a city water plant employee and stay-at-home mother. From an early age, Obama details the important impact of her parents, her brother, and her extended family on instilling strong values and a work ethic. She describes her early academic success, which eventually led her to Princeton University.
During her college years, Obama provides a compelling account of the challenges she faced as an African American woman at an elite, predominantly white university in the early 1980s. She poignantly describes the tension between wanting to succeed in this competitive environment but also feeling pressure to remain connected to her roots in the African American community. This section provides rare insight into her college experiences as well as race relations and identity during that particular cultural moment.
After Princeton, Obama attended Harvard Law School, where she continued to feel the weight of being perceived as an “other” in white-dominated spaces. She illuminates the emotional labor and isolation of constantly proving oneself in elite environments not built for marginalized groups. Obama displayed tremendous determination and resilience to find her voice, forge connections, and succeed at Harvard despite the immense pressures she faced.
The memoir moves through her subsequent career in corporate law and work for the City of Chicago, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama. Becoming intimately explores Michelle’s early relationship and eventual marriage to Barack as she strove to balance her demanding career with the growing seriousness of their relationship. She reveals the challenges the couple faced early on, related to their differing expectations around gender roles and work-life balance.
As Barack’s political career accelerated, Michelle describes the increasing public scrutiny she faced, her initial wariness about political life, and her eventual embrace of campaigning. She discusses adapting to her evolving role as an orator and public figure while remaining authentic to her values. When Barack Obama became president, Michelle was thrust even further into the spotlight of First Lady. The second half of the book focuses more deeply on her initiatives as First Lady to support military families, education, nutrition, the arts, and more.
A key theme throughout is finding meaning in her roles as an African American woman, wife, mother, and eventual First Lady with millions looking to her as a role model. Obama is frank about the tensions she grappled with in occupying positions she never imagined as someone growing up a working-class family on the South Side. However, she persists through self-doubt and transforms into a confident First Lady while remaining grounded in her identity.
On a more intimate level, Becoming delves into Michelle’s personal experiences within her family, her relationship with Barack, her role as a mother, and the enormous pressures faced by her and her daughters as members of the First Family. She does not gloss over the sacrifices she made in support of Barack’s political ambitions despite her own professional success. Yet she ultimately frames her life decisions with agency and purpose.
The memoir has been praised for its honest, thoughtful portrayal of Michelle Obama as an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances. She has been lauded for the intimacy and vulnerability she brings to her public and private struggles. Obama skillfully situates her life within broader historical and social contexts related to race, gender, and politics. For many readers, Obama has provided inspiration and opened a window into experiences beyond their own.
However, some critics argue Michelle reveals little new information about either her life or tenure as First Lady. The memoir was released in the midst of divisive political times, leading some to critique Obama for failing to address certain polarizing issues head on. From a literary perspective, some found the narrative too conventional in style. Yet these criticisms do not outweigh the overall power of her story.
Ultimately, in Becoming, Michelle Obama offers a compelling vision of perseverance, self-actualization, and fulfilled purpose, regardless of one’s origins. As the first African American First Lady, Obama disrupted stereotypes and expectations for women of color in the United States. By boldly telling her story from the South Side of Chicago to the White House, Michelle Obama provides a poignant template for overcoming societal barriers while remaining grounded in one’s identity. For generations to come, her memoir ensures Michelle Obama’s legacy as a ground-breaking First Lady and an inspiration to people from all walks of life.