Becoming

I loved this book. It was captivating, relatable and has inspirational messages.

I can't give this a rating because reading this allowed me to learn a little bit more about myself: reading (auto)biographies of modern figures is not my cup of tea. I may or may not go back to this in the future, but in this moment, I'm happy to stick with reading and learning about historical figures. Some snippets that I did learn about Michelle Obama are pretty interesting though, I've got to say, just not exciting enough in terms of history.

I’m not a political person and I have never been one to follow politicians closely but I did always find Michelle Obama intriguing. This memoir only solidified my interests. I found Her story inspiring. Being from Chicago area I’ve seen the struggles and crime that the southside faces so I know how hard Michelle’s path was. Her parents seemed like incredible people- it brought me so much emotion to know how much they sacrificed for their children. I thoroughly enjoyed the early chapters and hearing about her path. The parts about her early relationship with Barack was also intriguing. Hearing how our 44th President was before he was president was very interesting, and hearing the passion that Barack Obama had for bettering others and our country, and then the dedication he brought to the people when he was in office, gave me a lot of respect for him. This memoir gives insights into our president as well as his first lady and I think it’s very much worth the read.

I was all over with this book. For long stretches I really wasn’t wild about it, but then there were moments that seemed really poignant and insightful. In the end, the conclusion I’ve come to is that it is a really good book, and will be a real worldview-changer for a lot of people. I just don’t happen to be one of those people, partly because I’m already in tune with what she’s trying to say, and partly because I really just prefer a more cerebral approach to things (which, believe me, I do not necessarily think is a good thing). So I’ll say this: If you think maybe you should read this book, then I’m guessing you really should. You’ll probably get a lot out of it.

This book is worth all the hype. I'm not someone who generally enjoys memoirs, but this one touched me and got me tear-eyed on a lot of instances. The best way to read it, would be through the voice of Michelle Obama herself. This is beyond inspiring, for everyone, regardless of whether they share any of her aspirations or goals. It is an account of strength, grace, resilience, empathy, grit, passion, sass, humor, love and most importantly, about hope.

I've always had a deep sense of respect and admiration for Michelle, because of all the speeches I've watched, but this was mostly on a surface level. This book gave an insight into who she is as a person, and I have to say, it is impossible to not love her as a person. Michelle took upon a role she never asked for, and probably did the best job anyone has every done at it.

I highly recommend going back to all her YouTube videos, and crying happy tears. Therapeutic to see humans like her existing and being role models to the children of the world. (╥﹏╥)

I watched an interview with Michelle and her mother before they left the White House. On being asked what is the best thing about Michelle that makes her proudest, she responds with "Well now my saying is, when I grow up, I would like to be like Michelle Obama". Need I say more? :)