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A review by bhnmt61
Becoming by Michelle Obama
4.0
I’m a Democrat and I voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012, but I was never his biggest fan. He had different priorities than I did, and I often felt that he was too much swayed by his approval ratings. So I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did.
In fact, up until they moved into the White House, I was truly surprised by how normal and accessible Mrs. Obama seems to be. Her story is fascinating, and other than knowing she was from the South Side of Chicago, I knew none of it.
I did have some eye roll moments once they reached the presidency because it seemed a little too.... I don’t know. It felt like she was trying to smooth over and re-explain some things that really were more problematic than she wants to admit. As a small example, there was the moment during the first campaign when she (famously and controversially) said she felt proud to be an American for the first time in her adult life - she tried to make it sound like her remark was unfairly taken out of context, when it would have felt more real to me if she had just admitted- ‘I was naive. I didn’t realize how it would sound. It was a dumb thing to say.’
But writing that out makes it sound more significant than it was. There were a few moments like that, but they were minor compared to the overall story of her origins and what she has accomplished. And if she had been more brutally honest, her detractors would have a field day with it, so I can’t really blame her for glossing things over. Great book.
In fact, up until they moved into the White House, I was truly surprised by how normal and accessible Mrs. Obama seems to be. Her story is fascinating, and other than knowing she was from the South Side of Chicago, I knew none of it.
I did have some eye roll moments once they reached the presidency because it seemed a little too.... I don’t know. It felt like she was trying to smooth over and re-explain some things that really were more problematic than she wants to admit. As a small example, there was the moment during the first campaign when she (famously and controversially) said she felt proud to be an American for the first time in her adult life - she tried to make it sound like her remark was unfairly taken out of context, when it would have felt more real to me if she had just admitted- ‘I was naive. I didn’t realize how it would sound. It was a dumb thing to say.’
But writing that out makes it sound more significant than it was. There were a few moments like that, but they were minor compared to the overall story of her origins and what she has accomplished. And if she had been more brutally honest, her detractors would have a field day with it, so I can’t really blame her for glossing things over. Great book.