“Becoming” Book Review

Rating: 5/5 stars

This 2018 best selling autobiography, “Becoming” by Michelle Obama was simply fabulous. This book is the story of Michelle Obama’s life in her own voice which provides a personal look into who she is and how she has impacted the world. The book is divided into three different sections: Becoming Me, Becoming Us and Becoming More. The first section details her childhood, high school and collegiate experience. The second section, Becoming Us, focuses on her life with Barack Obama. The third section, Becoming More describes Michelle’s experience as the first lady.

To preface this review, let me say that I do not like biographies. In fact, I am not much of a non fiction reader at all. I prefer the magic of unicorn manes and fairy dust. However, this autobiography completely won me over. After reading about ten pages, I knew this book was something special.

Michelle writes in a very familiar and friendly voice but she still maintains that allure of elegance throughout her memoir. This book is written in a conversational way that makes it feel like you are sitting down with Michelle Obama on a rainy afternoon. It was relaxed, interesting and marvelous. Her anecdotes are endearing and real without the rose colored glass that sometimes accompanies public figures. I especially appreciated her discussion on what it meant to grow up as an African American in the city of Chicago. She does a fabulous job of detailing the inequities that reside in the inner city.

I also would be remiss if I did not mention that the stories she shares about the family relationships between herself and her children jump off the page. As a mother, these snippets warmed my heart and made me feel a stronger connection to her story. This deeper level of appreciation left me fully satisfied with the autobiography and I was glad that I bought the hardcover edition to keep in my library for years to come.

Recommendation: Pick up this autobiography, put on some quiet piano jazz and curl up with a warm mug of coffee. Enjoy! Also: I enjoyed this book while listening to a music album by Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. Click here to learn more about this playlist and other music/book pairings.