2021 Reads - Becoming by Michelle Obama
I have to start this review with a quick disclaimer. Maybe not so much a disclaimer as a confession, actually. I bought Becoming as soon as it hit the shelves in 2018. I probably posted about how excited I was to read it and how iconic Michelle Obama is. All true, of course. But it is now 2021 and I am just now finishing the book and writing about it. There isn’t one definitive reason for my delay in finally cracking open the book and delving into Michelle’s story. If I had to pinpoint my hesitation, it’s perhaps the state of the world for the past few years. I anticipated the book to be full of inspiring stories and hopeful messages and frankly, with a racist misogynistic narcissist in office, I just wasn’t sure that I’d be able to fully receive and take in the barrier-breaking journey of the Obamas. Apart from the juxtaposing conditions of the past two presidencies that made me weary of diving into Becoming, I’ll just admit to laziness, procrastination, and general distractions of life that kept me from it and from reading much in general. Now thanks to quarantine, we’ve all got plenty of time on our hands now though, and I am finally making time to read and let myself be immersed in stories. I am so glad I finally picked up this book and I was so happy to journey through Michelle Obama’s awe-inspiring life as told by her.
Since I’m fully spilling my tea, I’ll say that I have a hard time with non-fiction. I love reading when it comes to stories and romance and drama and fantasy, because it feels like an escape. Memoirs and life stories… well they’re inspiring and interesting, sure, but oftentimes they make me feel like I’m doing homework and research, rather than just being able to enjoy a story for what it is. So add that to my list of reasons I procrastinated starting this book. When I finally did pick it up though, I was instantly engrossed. These ideas that I have around memoirs vanished before they even had a chance to cross my mind because I was captured by Michelle’s story so quickly. I can’t say I’ve read too many memoirs but I imagine that the structure of this one was by all means traditional. Michelle takes us through her childhood and we get an intimate look at her relationship with her parents, her brother, her neighborhood, who she was growing up, and how her environment and the way she was raised made her who she is. What struck me the most in the first section of Becoming was how relatable it was. I probably shouldn’t have been surprised by that, but I honestly was. I think because in paper, I didn’t really expect Michelle Obama’s story to parallel mine as much as it felt like it did reading it. She, like me, is a woman minority raised with a deep love for her culture and a strong emphasis on education, and using school as a way to defy the odds that are stacked against you in society. I would say that up until the point in her life when she decided to study law, our paths were so similar that the feeling I had while reading was familiar and comforting. I found her life resonating with mine and her thoughts around discovering who she is are ones that ring in my mind constantly.
The next section details her career-path and her eventual and fateful path-crossing with Barack. Obviously, this is where her story stopped feeling familiar to me, but never stopped being engrossing. The riveting nature of her story is probably equal parts amazing writing and a genuinely amazing story. I thought that perhaps the journey to the white house for the Obamas would be told in a matter-of-fact way, but I was delighted by the amount of detail and honesty from Michelle on her thoughts and feelings while navigating her husband’s path to the presidency. The intimate moments that she let us in on both before and during their time in the White House are remarkable and I am so grateful to have been able to get a glimpse of it through these pages. It sometimes is hard for me to distinguish the celebrity aspect that politicians carry from their ultimate role as leaders for their constituents, and I think that’s even harder to do with the title of First Family of the country, but I by no means think that Obama’s presidency was a perfect one. No one’s is and I am aware now, even more so after reading this book, that it’s a continuous learning process. Even the president and First Lady are constantly making mistakes and growing from them. After the last 4 years, however, it was very nice to be reminded that there are people who go into politics, first and foremost because they believe that we can do better. I recommend this book to anyone, not only because it’s an amazing story with an amazing protagonist, but because we lived it alongside her and perspective is something that we can all use more of. One of my biggest takeaways from Becoming is that, if Michelle Obama can leave the White House after her family poured their heart and souls to this country not feeling cynical about it, I can do my best to try and remain hopeful and do my part to make tomorrow better for everyone.
“If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.”