Zack Vayda and "Becoming"

What I liked:

Michelle Obama dedicated much of the first part of the book to describing her childhood, being raised on the south side of Chicago. While the setting touches a bit on the racial inequalities she dealt with, she works hard to focus on her own perspective as a child in a warm house with caring parents and a loyal older brother. Obama writes about how she and her brother would stay up long past bedtime, whispering through the paper-thin wall separating their makeshift bedrooms, and how she spent hours playing house with her dolls (and occasionally, her brother’s GI Joe figurines). The way she writes about her childhood shows true love for her upbringing, while not shying away from the unfairness of being a black girl in urban America.

When Obama was young, she was placed in a classroom in her school’s basement, led by a burnt-out and unsympathetic teacher. Obama’s mother, knowing how bright her daughter was, fought to get her into an advanced classroom setting, and eventually succeeded. This was when Obama first experienced what would become her life-long drive to live life intentionally and with passion. This same fire is what got her into Whitney M. Young Magnet High School (the city’s first magnet high school for gifted children), Princeton University, and eventually Harvard Law School. If she hadn’t gotten into that first advanced classroom, Obama may not have become the woman she is today. The significance of this close call was not lost on Obama, and equal educational opportunity for all students would later become a hallmark of her work in the White House. 

Barack first crossed paths with Michelle when he apprenticed under her at the Chicago branch of Sidley Austin law firm. Michelle reveals that Barack was enamored with her long before she was with him, but their friendship came so easily to each of them that she couldn’t ignore the connection for long. While they didn’t share all traits (Barack was far too untidy for Michelle’s preference for neatness), what they did share, a drive to work their hardest and make a meaningful difference in the world, was far more important. All conversations, even the more heated ones, were orderly, functional, and fair. They would transfer this mature method of communication into their parenting style with their future daughters, Malia and Sasha. Undoubtedly, this effective family dynamic is what helped them succeed in most regards as a White House family.

Obama seems to know what people expect out of an autobiography, because she divulges many interesting “secrets” of the functions of the Oval Office, of the president, and of the white house as a whole. She reveals the code names for each of the members of the family, discusses which White House costs were covered (such as rent) and which weren’t (like food and services), and she extensively shares information about the secret service functions and guidelines. Obama writes about their daily schedules, the more private rooms in the White House, and what the family was and was not allowed to do (but might’ve done anyway). The insight into the behind-the-scenes is well worth the read alone.

What may be surprising to some is Michelle was never interested in politics. In fact, before Barack, she actively avoided it. It was only because of her love for her husband and his advantageous disposition to make a lasting impact on the country that gave her the strength to set aside her opinions and become a First Lady. Many Americans can relate to her dissuasion toward politics, and Obama does not shy away from the challenges, frustrations, and the deep demoralizations she experienced within the presidential functions. She reveals how difficult it was to watch as the opposing party shut down Barack’s bill to provide thousands of jobs to the American economy specifically to ensure he would only be a one-term president. She divulges how painful it was to watch her husband age before her eyes as he wept for the 20 elementary school children and 6 adults who were murdered at the Sandy Hook shooting. She shares how defeated she felt as Donald Trump, a man who insulted her and her husband with ungrounded claims at every opportunity, was elected president, knowing his first steps would be to dismantle all the good she and her husband had attempted over their 8 years in the White House. While often hard to read, the transparency Michelle offers would be incomplete without these insights. 

What I didn’t like:

Despite this being her first publication, Obama clearly has the potential to be a great writer. Her vocabulary is extensive, her imagery is effective, and her messages come across simply and with clarity. The balance between intricacy and simplicity is a hard one to find, but she does so quite well. When it comes to the choice of words, the structure of her sentences and paragraphs, and the flow within chapters, there is little to improve on. The only improvements that could be made are in regards to the arc of the entire story. Certain chapters lean off away from the purpose, sometimes to give welcome variety, but other times it comes across as meandering. Altogether, the same effective message could have been portrayed in 2-4 chapters less. Having said that, if overall flow is the sacrifice for effective story-telling, it is well worth the trade-off. If Obama writes future books, she will certainly make these small adjustments, and when she does, there will be little to critique.

What I’d recommend:

Throughout the book, Obama explains one simple phrase would go through her head whenever she faced obstacles: “Am I good enough?” When she was young, the question went unanswered. Then, when she started to overcome those challenges (at Princeton, Harvard, Sidley Austin, working for the city of Chicago, and in the White House as First Lady), she was able to respond to the internal question by answering, “Yes I am.” This call-and-response repeated itself as Obama, the first black First Lady, changed the health landscape of America with her Let’s Move! campaign, gave youths permission to push for a better future with Reach Higher, highlighted the inequalities young girls are accustomed to within education with Let Girls Learn, and advocated for the sacrifices military families have made with Joining Forces. 

For anyone looking to better understand racial, economical, structural, or political inequalities in America, this book is for you. For anyone struggling to say, “yes I am,” this book is for you. For anyone striving for more than the people around them say they deserve, this book is for you. And, most importantly, people of color, minorities, women, and young girls, this book is for you.