Becoming

By: Michelle Obama

Narrated by: Michelle Obama

Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former first lady of the United States.

Number one New York Times best seller

Watch the Emmy-nominated Netflix original documentary

Oprah’s Book Club Pick

NAACP Image Award Winner

One of Essence’s 50 most impactful Black books of the past 50 years

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 US 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 listeners 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.

©2018 Michelle Obama (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A serious work of candid reflection by a singular figure of early-twenty-first-century America... Becoming is refined and forthright, gracefully written and at times laugh-out-loud funny.” (Isabel Wilkerson, The New York Times Book Review)

“Becoming is inspirational without trying to be. From the first words, the very warmth that permeates its author emanates from the pages.... Becoming manages to be a coming-of-age tale, a love story and a family saga all in one. More importantly, this book is a reminder that America is still a work-in-progress, and that hope can be an action word if we allow it to be. Becoming is a balm that America needs, from a woman America does not yet deserve.” (Angie Thomas, Time)

“Deeply personal and refreshingly honest... She’s thoughtful, humorous, bracingly revealing, and when it’s time, she does us all the favor of showing us the human side of a man worshipped by so many.... It’s human and genuine and welcoming to see the layers of humanity she holds open.... Michelle Obama’s story can maybe inspire you to find a path for your own story.” (Shonda Rhimes, Shondaland)

Are You Who You Appear To Be

I am into a few chapters and I keep feeling I am discovering a precious gem. The story telling is like fiction but this is fact. Michelle's voice works so well in her reading. I feel comforted by her steady telling. It's an historical book. This is not dry and un-telling. It is rich. You will be a better person for reading this. Whether that's your intention or not.

Beautifully written and narrated

Michelle Obama delivers a beautifully written, honest and well read narrative of her time in the white house. Her novel made me not only more aware of the trials of the first black presidency but also rendered me looking for opportunities to volunteer in some of the causes championed by her. ‘Becoming’ literally moved me to tears and taught me a lot about American history. Unveiled, honest and from the heart I would recommend it to anyone.

Nleon

This book really touched home. We had a similar childhood. I really loved this book. The added bonus was Michelle read it to me. I can’t wait to read, I mean listen to it again.

A book for the ages

This isn’t just a regular “post White House” book. It’s much more than that, and told in a way that only Michelle can tell it. Gripping, stunning, and amazing. A must read!

Greatest First Lady ever!!!

I am so glad I purchased this book and listened to Mrs. Obama narrate it herself. I couldn't stop listening to her wonderful life and the love she has for family and friends. She is a kind soul and I'm glad to be a part of those that listened to the book, it was definitely more fulfilling.

"Becoming" an author...needs some classes, sorry.

It was a good book, just not what I was expecting. I was glad that I was listening to it because if reading it, "I would've put it down and not picked it up again." It was very interesting to hear what some of her EMOTIONS were behind some of the events that occurred while she was first lady and I respect the hell outta her for letting her husband handle the political things while she found initiatives that needed attention that didn't conflict with National or International affairs. She is a brilliant woman with her own ideas so to remain quiet for all of those years, playing the dutiful wife, mother and FLOTUS when I am sure that she was chomping at the bit sometimes, must have been tough. She is a class act and given the verbal vomit that is spewed from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue these days just cheapens the position of leader of the greatest country on earth. The repubs keep digging our grave and we put a Dem in there long enough to make some progress then the repubs are back to make the tape red again and spill some more of our boys' blood overseas. It is time for the foul-mouthed TV star to go back to strong-arming contractors and leave the strategic, sensitive and POLITE negotiations to the grown-ups who know how to play nice.

Authentic. Transparent. Relatable. Eye Opener

I loved EVERYTHING about this book. I would recommend to ANYONE. It made me emotional all over again about the Inauguration of our first black family in the white house.

A powerful insiders view!

Absolutely LOVED this book! It's an insider's view of history and its affects on a wife and mother. A must read!

The book I didn’t know I needed

I spend a lot of time on the road so I decided to listen to my first ever audio book. This was one to remember. Becoming felt even more intimate narrated by Michelle Obama. There were moments that tugged at my heart, others that made me laugh out loud and some just left my mouth wide open. There are so many important life lessons in this book with my favorite being the “swerve”. I also had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Obama during her book tour in DC. You can feel her words. I was holding on to each word, sentence, paragraph and chapter wondering what she would next Become. I would highly recommend this book!

Excellence!

Unless you live under a rock, you know that this fall Becoming by former First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama, was published and has quickly become (aha, see what I did there?) a bestseller. I pre-ordered the book via Audible earlier this year and began listening as soon as it was available.

As I was selecting keyword tags for this post, I considered choosing politics. I decided against it because this is a book about the life of Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama. While she does share behind the scenes information about her husband's politics and his successful, consecutive presidential campaigns, the book is her life story. Furthermore, she makes it very clear that she does not enjoy politics nor does she have any political aspirations of her own. During the 2018 mid-term elections, I read an article about Heidi Cruz (wife of Texas Senator Ted Cruz) and how she, at times, feels relegated to simply being the wife of Ted Cruz rather than the educated, professional, individual person she is. I think this happens to many women who are connected with high profile men - once again proving what the Obama's have often said - we are all more alike than we are different. So, if you have not read Becoming and decide to embark on Mrs. Obama's life journey thus far, please read it with an autobiographical lens that happens to include the 44th President of the United States.

The book begins with Mrs. Obama's childhood and she works her way chronologically through her formative years, her Princeton and Harvard years, meeting Barack Obama, her struggles conceiving their children, the family's journey to the White House, pretty much through present day. It is her detailed, personal account. While listening to her masterfully read the book, I felt like she was a good friend sharing a phenomenal story. Many of the stories she shared I recalled from the not too distant past, some were new to me, and others offered a different view from the accounts by the news media.

The aspect of Mrs. Obama's life that resonated most with me was her constant relationship with the media - traditional and social. In the book, she often mentions being under the never-ending microscope of society by way of the media. This, of course, is what politicians and their families take on in their service to their city, county, state, and country. However, as anyone could imagine, it seemed to weigh on Mrs. Obama at times. A full two years post-office, and just the other day I witnessed one of my Facebook connections refer to Mrs. Obama as an animal. It's sad. It's demoralizing, and it's not right. As Mrs. Obama noted in her book, the "office" of First Lady isn't an official one nor is it a paid position. When the current First Lady said that she is one of the "most bullied" people, her statement was met with laughter and jokes. But I don't really think she was far off the mark. Being in the public eye can be exhausting. We, as private citizens, experience that via social media (some of us to a greater degree if one's messaging is extremely controversial and goes viral). I think our society would be much better served if we all extended some grace and kindness to one another - especially to those who are serving our country in various capacities.

While the Mrs. Obama's memoir is just over 19 listening hours, it really didn't seem that long. Mrs. Obama has a great reading voice that helps guide the reader through her life story. There is so much detail, I certainly cannot give a comprehensive review. I can just say this - many First Ladies have written a book about their time in the White House, and this one is historical and worth reading.

Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this read, especially the audio version. It was nice hearing Mrs. Obama's inflection and tone as she recounted some interesting and funny stories. It also evoked emotion when she demonstrated her vulnerabilities, making her more relatable to African Americans, women, and, most importantly, Americans. I'm told the hard copy book has a nice inset of photos. So, maybe buy a hard copy and get the audio companion also!

Until next time ... Read on!