Becoming Book Summary

Book Summary

15 min

Audio available

Brief Summary

Becoming by Michelle Obama is an intimate memoir chronicling her life journey from childhood on the South Side of Chicago to becoming the first African American First Lady of the United States. The book explores her personal growth, struggles, achievements, and the balance of her public and private life. It highlights themes of identity, perseverance, family, and finding one's voice amidst societal expectations.

About the Author

Michelle Obama is an American lawyer, university administrator, and writer, who was the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2018. She is wife to Barack Obama, the 44th and first African American president of the United States. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Obama worked at the law office Sidley Austin, where she met her future husband. She was an active supporter and campaigner for her husband during the 2008 and 2012 elections. During the 2016 Democratic National Convention, she delivered a speech in support of Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. As the first lady, Michelle Obama worked to alleviate poverty, improve the education system and physical activity of children.

Topics

Biography & Memoir

Becoming Book Summary Preview

Is self-doubt holding you back?

What about discrimination?

Do you constantly aim to fix problems that others are ignoring?

If so, then “Becoming” has some valuable insights to share with you.

“There are truths we face and truths we ignore”

-Michelle Obama

In “Becoming”, we are welcomed into the former First Lady, Michelle Obama’s life as she shares her experience in the White House while her husband, Barack, was leading the great American nation.

Michelle shares with readers her background that made her who she is today. And sheds light to what motivates and drives her exciting public service career.

Her primary focus in the book shifts from family and politics to her own social justice missions. Though like most of us, she admits to hating politics, she found her own reasons for involving herself in government alongside her husband’s dream.

The Big Take-Aways

You must make the most out of every situation.
Racism is still present.
You must always believe in yourself.

Here is what we learned from “Becoming”:

The Obamas were not welcomed as America’s leaders kindly.

Michelle describes the cruel comments and unwelcoming experience being the first black family to lead the American nation. Her husband, Barack was accused of not being American because of his race. And, Michelle was endlessly stereotyped as an “angry black woman” every time she spoke out against racism.

This social hardship only motivated Michelle to prove her worth to the people of America.

She did this by speaking outwardly about color and discrimination, as well as organizing social justice campaigns.

Michelle’s upbringing was colorful.

Michelle, a native of Chicago, gives a backdrop of her childhood for the reader. She was born in a working-class neighborhood of mixed race.

Her father was a hard-working boiler tender and suffered from multiple sclerosis, while her mother was a stay-at-home mom to Michelle and her brother.

Michelle was always encouraged by her mother to solve her own problems.

Michelle was always debating, even from a young age, and felt strongly about discrimination and prejudices.

She attended Princeton University for undergrad, then attended Harvard University for law school.

How Barack and Michelle came together:

Michelle was working as a mentor for law students and Barack was her first mentee.

Barack was immediately attracted to Michelle, making advances and trying to sweet-talk her.

But Michelle, being the career-oriented lady that she was, tried to remain professional in their mentor-mentee relationship.

Eventually, Barack’s charming words got the best of her and the two got together and engaged in a long-distance relationship while Barack attended university.

They then got married in front of Michelle’s extended family, at a huge ceremony. The rest of their love story is history.