Staff Picks: Becoming by Michelle Obama
Picked by Emily O.
Listen to it as an audiobook, with Michelle as the perfect reader. She certainly nails the right tone for every chapter and every moment, from humorous to poignant to outraged. It's a personal memoir; it's also an urgent message to save this country from the divisiveness and shame of a president who now wants to undo all the progress of his predecessor.
She deals with the unfortunate attacks both she and Barack suffered when they were in the political fray. But mostly it's a fascinating look at the signal moments of her coming of age, how Obama came to his position, and how she grew into her position as the first African-American First Lady.
I enjoyed hearing about the issues and causes she took on in her role and that she continues to care about, women and girls' issues and opportunities for education, and lobbying for a healthier lifestyle and food choices for kids and the American population as a whole. I think it's an inspiring journey, from the Southside of Chicago to the White House, that I could only guess at before listening to this book. Life within the White House is certainly an odd thing for any of us to contemplate and I have never read anything so honest and revealing about the specific constraints and privileges of being a Presidential family.
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