Becoming by Michelle Obama

When this book was published last year it quickly became the second highest best seller in the world… right behind New Zealand’s own Wonky Donkey.

I read the large print version of Becoming and am very grateful that top books such as this are being reproduced in the large print format.

Michelle Obama’s book begins with the child, living in poverty but born to strong, determined parents. Her father disabled with MS, Michelle was taught to strive. She loved school, won scholarships, dreamed of the future, determined to better herself, her world – the future.

Then she met Barack. Two kids, in love, with dreams, mighty dreams: Barack politics, Michelle the glitzy world of the corporate lawyer.

Michelle writes beautifully with a rare honesty. I knew and understood very little about the mechanics of American politics and how (for lack of a better word), the American electoral system ‘worked’. By the end of the book and two terms in office, I still don’t… But I really enjoyed every page of her story. I kept going back and re-reading. The birth of their daughters – the little girls dominated this book – life together, and the decision to run for office. They never expected to be the first black family to live in the White House – the first black president when racism was alive and well throughout the USA. 

But win they did against all predictions.

As parents, the Obamas fought hard to keep their two girls, Malia and Sasha, out of the spotlight, keeping their lives as normal as possible despite the obvious difficulties. They enrolled them in local schools, they taught them to strive for their own goals, to compete for and gain places in sports teams despite the accompanying security and media. Much of the book is about the girls, the guilt the Obamas felt as parents, but at the end the girls had completed their education with great success and were away on gap year holidays with friends, normal, ambitious, level-headed young women with exciting goals.

When Barack took office nearly one third of children throughout America were over-weight or obese. Michelle was desperate to make a difference, to draw attention to diet, good food.

Within days of moving into the famous residence, and against the wishes of many, she strode out onto the world famous South Lawn and began digging. She involved local school children – they were digging, parents joined in, a beautiful vegetable garden evolved, the media caught on and throughout the world Michelle Obama’s words and actions were also taking root.

She moved on to diet, fizzy drinks, sport in schools. Chefs were employed to use the fresh vegetables, schools throughout the country were feeding salads as school lunches.

One of the very last duties she performed at her home of eight years was more  digging… she had been roundly criticised as the first garden grew, just weeks before departure she doubled the size, planted more vegetables.

Another ‘project’ she and Barack worked on together was to emphasise the promise and vulnerability of young women in the world. They, along with the rest of the world, were horrified by the kidnapping of 275 Nigerian schoolgirls, by stories of immigrant girls in America, and Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani brutally attacked by the Taliban who went to the White House to talk to Michelle.

As a couple the Obamas both invested much kindness and big changes into supporting injured military and their families. 

Michelle and Barack set up a project ‘Let Girls Learn’. Michelle described it as an ambitious government-wide effort focussed on helping adolescent girls around the world to obtain better access to education.

The book reflects on their friendship with Queen Elizabeth, the reasons for the Obamas very public support of Hillary Clinton. Finally, Michelle made no secret of her feelings of sadness and discomfort when handing over their home of eight years to Donald Trump.

So many stories, so much reflection, so much history from one who was there in front and to the fore.