BOOK REVIEW

In a recent article, Vanity Fair called the Obamas the biggest VIPs in Washington DC. Two terms in the White House, and a great many believe former President Barack Obama didn’t do enough.

But what happens when you go inside the White House and that perspective is presented by the other inhabitant - the former First Lady of America. That was rhetorical.

Michelle’s frankness is as refreshing as this book. It is not about Barack Obama only; it is about the story of Michelle Obama, her roots, thoughts and her history, beginning from the south side of Chicago to the person she is now.

As she notes in the preface, "Since stepping reluctantly into public life, I’ve been held up as the most powerful woman in the world and taken down as an ‘angry black woman’." I’ve wanted to ask my detractors which part of that phrase matters to them most - is it "angry" or "black" or "woman".

From a United States Congressman commenting on her body to parts of internet where some people ponder about whether she is a man or a woman, Michelle Obama has not left any subject untouched and that is perhaps why this book is doing so well. A famous person’s life from afar and reality can be two different things.

Becoming - Part I

The first part of the book is thoroughly dedicated to Michelle’s early life. Thrust into the limelight when Barack Obama ran for the Presidency and won, Michelle Obama became a household name and the First Lady of the United States of America from 2009-2019. Becoming is, mercifully, about much more than that.

The book begins with Michelle writing about her childhood, how she grew up in the south side of Chicago. She doesn’t complain but takes the readers along on her journey. Both her parents were a great influence on her as was her brother. But from a young age, she was given the freedom to choose the life she wanted to live. She was a feisty child who always wanted to do well in school. Her mother played an important role in her life as someone who took care of the children but also as someone strong who believed in good education for her children.

"I spent much of my childhood listening to the sound of striving." Becoming’s also about the south side – from her piano lessons to the basketball court, where her brother used to play, and from the neighbors to the relatives and how all the lives around were connected and played a part in shaping her person. Her home life where her parents taught her to be outspoken, where conversations on sex were welcome, and where she struggled with the reality of being not only a woman, but also being a black woman in America.

We see her years through Princeton, where she majored in sociology and minored in African-American studies, followed by a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1988.

Becoming Us - Part II

The second part of the book, Becoming Us focuses on meeting the love of her life, Barack Obama, their young love with jobs and careers to balance and their effort to make sense of it all.

This part is more intimate part as Michelle articulates her feelings for Barack, and how they found love amidst various realities. They work together for a time until he has to go back to Harvard to finish his degree and since they both want to continue the relationship, they try long-distance route. Barack however, prefers writing letters to talking on the phone. Michelle believes in talking on the phone regularly as she believes it will keep their connection alive and eventually he gives in and they talk on and off for the whole semester.

They travel to Hawaii to meet his grandmother who raised him and they also go to meet his mother eventually. Through their relationship, we see him support her and not stand in her way. Michelle writes about working for a charity where she has to take a major pay cut and yet, together, Barack and Michelle make it work.

Becoming More - Part III

The third part of the book, Becoming More, focuses on the run for the White House, becoming the First Lady, juggling young kids while in the White House and trying to find her footing in all that it entails.

Michelle Obama is candid as she admits that for a long time, she never wanted Barack to run for the Office of the Presidency, believing it would upend their lives and for thinking they wouldn’t win. Eventually, she came on board, never telling him no as this was his dream and she couldn’t stand in his way.

When in the spotlight, the media criticised her as did trolls on the internet. In an introspective mode, she describes how it made her feel and how she fought back. From getting small moments together while running for President to giving whole speeches to auditorium of people, we see her excursion through it all.

The things she chose to focus on as First Lady – children and their health, assisting military families, developing a program for mentoring young women – reflect the things that are important to her and the kind of person she is. With an intellect such as hers, she easily could have taken on larger policy issues but instead focused on children and families, bringing people into the White House who would not have had the opportunity to be there if not for her. Her reasoning was simple as she notes, "I’ve been lucky to have parents, teachers, and mentors who’d fed me with a consistent, simple message: You matter. As an adult, I wanted to pass those words to a new generation."

This is a must-read book, even for those who believe as a liberal democrat former President Barack Obama didn’t do enough for the simple reason that it is not about him but her.