Book Thoughts: Becoming by Michelle Obama

Wednesday, February 24, 2021


Becoming by Michelle Obama

Adult Non-Fiction // Category: Memoir
Release Date: November 13, 2018
Publisher: Crown (Penguin Random House)
Format: Audiobook • 19 hours 3 minutes
Rating: 5 stars

My first five-star read of 2021 ✨⁣

Don't be intimidated by this chonky book! The audiobook may be 19 hours long, but it feels just like a long conversation with Michelle Obama. For some reason, I was worried that I wouldn't connect with this memoir because I didn't know much about the Obama family. So I'm here to say that you don't need to know anything about them before reading! Michelle Obama discusses her entire life, as a child and growing up, all the way to meeting Barack Obama and their journey to his presidency. And she does so in such a natural and down-to-earth way.⁣

A handful of times, I've talked about struggling to share the "in progress" version of me on Instagram. It’s not a secret that I'm currently looking for work that's specific to the career I want to start, and have been in "limbo" for a while now. In Becoming, Michelle Obama talks a lot about the uncertainties she's faced regarding her career, and it brought me a sense of comfort. I was talking about it to my husband (I always give him a lil summary and my thoughts whenever I finish a book 🤣) and he said it's easy for her to bring those things up because she's at a place where she wants to be now. She's no longer in those difficult positions.⁣

True, it may be easy for her to tell us that practicing law didn't bring her joy, or that she was hesitant about Barack Obama becoming a senator and then president. But the comforting thing is knowing that she's been where I am now, and she came out strong. She figured out what she's passionate about, and she pursues those things relentlessly, even now. Whether it's creating campaigns to encourage healthy eating or supporting students to stay in school, she puts her heart and soul into it.⁣

Sometimes, it's nice to hear from powerful people that they don't know what they're doing. Not as an ego boost, but it's kinda like … proof that they recognize and are willing to admit they're human too.

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