erchla's review
3.0
3.5 stars. There was so much I loved about this book. I loved the stories of ordinary American people and their struggles and victories. And I loved the reminders that we are resilient nation filled with good people, who care about and love other people. But with that said, parts of this book just felt like a fan account for Obama (which is fine, but not what I wanted), and overall, I felt like the book was about 100 pages too long. There was so much she could have left out and the book would have been just as powerful.
kater's review
4.0
The letters were amazing - funny, heart-breaking, anger inducing, frustrating.
And learning about the people behind the letters, both the writers and the people in the mail room at the White House was interesting.
And learning about the people behind the letters, both the writers and the people in the mail room at the White House was interesting.
fortheloveoffictionalworlds's review
5.0
Also Posted on For The Love of Fictional Worlds
Disclaimer: An ARC was provided via Bloomsbury India in exchanage for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.
I rarely read non fiction books – but when Bloomsbury introduced this book about Letters written to Mr. Barack Obama during his two terms of Presidency.
Spanning a decade, it was eye opening and definitely nostalgic to see Public’s reaction to a President they didn’t expect to love to a President they came to respect and admire – but most of all miss when the current President was announced.
This is a book about Mr. Obama’s policy to reply to 10 letters each day – a policy that I came to see not only affected his own policy and decisions but also see how this wonderful man loved his country and all the people in it. He treated even the worst of criticism with politeness and at times also use that criticism to find a way to better the condition for his country and its people.
In the current tremulous times, when all you see is hate, fear and discrimination under a President of a country whose is slowly but surely destroying the world’s faith in humanity – this book is a ray of hope – hope that one day things might get better, that humanity will rise above hate, fear and discrimination.
From the time he took oath to lead the most powerful country in this world till the time he was faced with the decision to transfer those reigns to a man who is misogynistic, filled with hate for things he doesn’t understand, to protecting only what he understands, who holds hate and fear above the heads of everyone else – this man handled every decision with poise and grace that makes me, a non – American, that he was back in the office.
I have laughed, cried and sympathized with each of the letters, for their problems are what each one of us face in our own country – To Obama is a book I would recommend to any and all, for it is a look at an administration that was kind, loyal and definitely more humane than the current administration.
For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
Do come join us at For The Fictional Worlds Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon |
cortingbooks's review
5.0
If you wrote a letter to the President of the United States what would it be about?
Immigration...the abuse you suffered at the hands of your foster parents ...being elected Student Council President...what it feels like to lose everything you’ve worked so hard for...civil rights...bullies punching you in the face...overcoming an addiction...when your girlfriend died because she couldn’t afford to go to the doctor...what it felt like to finally be able to legally marry the love of your life...to say good riddance...to say a prayer...to lay blame...or to just say Thank You.
This is a sample of the letters sent to President Obama (and his response to some of them) during his 8 years in the White House. I was humbled by these people and the level of care and love that went into the writing and handling of these letters.
Immigration...the abuse you suffered at the hands of your foster parents ...being elected Student Council President...what it feels like to lose everything you’ve worked so hard for...civil rights...bullies punching you in the face...overcoming an addiction...when your girlfriend died because she couldn’t afford to go to the doctor...what it felt like to finally be able to legally marry the love of your life...to say good riddance...to say a prayer...to lay blame...or to just say Thank You.
This is a sample of the letters sent to President Obama (and his response to some of them) during his 8 years in the White House. I was humbled by these people and the level of care and love that went into the writing and handling of these letters.
tonic's review
5.0
This was a beautiful and extraordinary account of a part of Obama’s presidency that I knew almost nothing about. It’s a really gorgeous picture of humanity in all kinds of forms too, plus the storytelling pulls you right in. I loved it and will now foist it upon all my loved ones.
sass's review
5.0
I cried buckets reading this. More than just another political memoir of the Obama era, To Obama is a portrait of the hopes and concerns of America during the eight years of the Obama presidency. It is deeply personal, and curiously features only glimpses of the man himself, giving far more space to the average people who wrote to Obama, and of the people who were the conduit between the letters and the president, and the book is stronger for it.
simonereadsbooks's review
4.0
For me Obama has always represented hope and possibility. I remember sitting in history class in 8th grade talking about the election and the ramifications of having a black president. For my family and many of my friends’ families it was a time for excitement. But I also remember the tension in the air, the division, being told we shouldn’t talk about politics at lunch to save friendships. This book does an excellent job of capturing all of those feelings and more.
This was a slower read for me, mainly because of how emotional it made me. There were multiple times where I would finish reading a letter or a chapter and have tears streaming down my cheeks. I honestly would have been more than happy to read a book just of letters to Obama and his responses. That was were the true story and emotion was centered for me. The letters selected accurately highlighted America during Obama’s presidency. The hope, the fear, the love and the hate were all represented to paint a portrait of America. It was also nice to see insight into the mailroom and the staffers who worked in it. It provided a layer of context that you don’t normally consider when you think of the presidency and made me appreciate the dedication to hearing the people’s voice.
The only issue that I had with this book is that it seemed to focus on white America during Obama’s presidency. While I understand the need to address how white people came to terms with and confront their views on race/a black president, I would have appreciates these topics being addressed more equally from the point of view of people of color. Regardless of that, this was a great read and one I would recommend!
This was a slower read for me, mainly because of how emotional it made me. There were multiple times where I would finish reading a letter or a chapter and have tears streaming down my cheeks. I honestly would have been more than happy to read a book just of letters to Obama and his responses. That was were the true story and emotion was centered for me. The letters selected accurately highlighted America during Obama’s presidency. The hope, the fear, the love and the hate were all represented to paint a portrait of America. It was also nice to see insight into the mailroom and the staffers who worked in it. It provided a layer of context that you don’t normally consider when you think of the presidency and made me appreciate the dedication to hearing the people’s voice.
The only issue that I had with this book is that it seemed to focus on white America during Obama’s presidency. While I understand the need to address how white people came to terms with and confront their views on race/a black president, I would have appreciates these topics being addressed more equally from the point of view of people of color. Regardless of that, this was a great read and one I would recommend!
More...