Books are a wonderful way for coworkers and friends to share experiences, even when we’re miles, states, and countries apart. Hearing about what someone is reading is like taking a 5-minute vacation. Each week, one Piper team member will answer the question, “What are you reading?” and take you on a well-deserved, 5-minute vacation.
This week Deepa is reading Becoming by Michelle Obama.
”As a daughter of immigrants, I could relate to the sacrifice, the fear of failure, and the drive to make sure everyone knows that you got where you are on your merits.”
DEEPA SAYS…
When I preordered this book, my husband commented that it wasn’t coming out for another six months. My response? “If Michelle Obama sold a box of used kitty litter covered in glitter, I’d buy it.”
The strongest parts of this book are about her early childhood. She clearly wrote from the heart, and I could tell that the people who raised her live on in her actions today. I loved the details of her mother’s life and how she advocated for her daughter, the description of the dynamics in her family and neighborhood, and how her perceptions of her own race changed as she grew. As a daughter of immigrants, I could relate to the sacrifice, the fear of failure, and the drive to make sure everyone knows that you got where you are on your merits. I also liked hearing about her early relationship with her husband.
What I didn’t love, however, was the writing. It felt stilted at times. While she spoke from the heart about her early life, as soon as she started talking about her public life, it felt more reserved and careful. I wanted to hear more about her experiences and how she processed them, not simply what happened.
I would still recommend this book. I don’t think we hear enough about where our public figures come from. Having that added context for her and her husband made me appreciate her that much more.
AMAZON DESCRIPTION
An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States.
In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.
In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.
HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK?
Tell Deepa what you thought in the blog comments below!
