A review by lizzycatslibrary
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama

3.0

Well, I went into this book expecting it to be quite different from what it turned out to be. I was hoping it would address Barack Obama's biracialness more. While it does talk about this it focuses very much on Obama reclaiming his Kenyan roots and what it means for him to be black in America. There were parts where I recognized the double bind of being mixed race and the pull to try and adhere and fit into one box but I felt that rather than coming to terms with this he pushed himself further into a box. Now that is not to say that this wasn't an important and introspective memoir. I felt it very deeply explored what it means to be black in America and where Barack Obama's place is within this spectrum. I really enjoyed the second part of the book where he takes his first trip to Kenya and meets all his relatives. The stories and the roots are fascinating and I wonder whether he still holds the bonds that he formed with his family. I really want to read Auma Obama's memoir because I think it would be really interesting to compare and contrast the two. Overall, I am glad I read this book even though it was not quite what I was expecting. It was interesting to see this side of the now current President of the United States. It made me admire and respect him even more.