Becoming by Michelle Obama

Series: N/a

Genre: Biography/Non-Fiction

Age Group: Adult

Audiobook - 19 hours

Source: Scribd

Published: November 2018

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Rating: 5/5

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. 

Becoming was the first audiobook I listened to this year and I couldn’t have started the year with a better choice. This book completely drew me in and I enjoyed the experience of reading it very much.

Throughout the book my admiration and respect for the Former First Last, grew continuously. Before I read this biography, I knew Michelle Obama mostly from her work as the First Lady. Listening to this book taught me a lot about her own work and career. The book is full of excellent quotes while Obama covers growing up in Chicago and covering many difficult topics including racism and infertility.

I cried multiple times during this book because of the beauty and kindness in Michelle Obama's words. She is straightforward and honest in her storytelling. I loved seeing the stories she picked out of her life to explain how she became the woman she is and is still becoming.

Though I cried the most when Michelle speaks of the loss of her father, the most difficult part of this book for me was the section about the 2016 election. Reliving the lead up to the election and the political climate of those initial days after was difficult especially because I use reading to forget about politics most days. Even so, this was incredibly crafted.

I think everyone could benefit from reading Michelle Obama's story. I highly recommend this book, especially the audio, to any reader.

Happy Reading!

Review- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Genre: Biography

Age Group: Adult

Hardcover 818 pgs

Penguin Press (2004)

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Rating: 5/5

In the first full-length biography of Alexander Hamilton in decades, National Book Award winner Ron Chernow tells the riveting story of a man who overcame all odds to shape, inspire, and scandalize the newborn America. According to historian Joseph Ellis, Alexander Hamilton is “a robust full-length portrait, in my view the best ever written, of the most brilliant, charismatic and dangerous founder of them all.”Few figures in American history have been more hotly debated or more grossly misunderstood than Alexander Hamilton. Chernow’s biography gives Hamilton his due and sets the record straight, deftly illustrating that the political and economic greatness of today’s America is the result of Hamilton’s countless sacrifices to champion ideas that were often wildly disputed during his time. “To repudiate his legacy,” Chernow writes, “is, in many ways, to repudiate the modern world.” Chernow here recounts Hamilton’s turbulent life: an illegitimate, largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean, he came out of nowhere to take America by storm, rising to become George Washington’s aide-de-camp in the Continental Army, coauthoring The Federalist Papers, founding the Bank of New York, leading the Federalist Party, and becoming the first Treasury Secretary of the United States.

Though I enjoy biographies, I don't think I would have found this one or enjoyed it as much without the Hamilton musical. I was deeply obsessed with the music when I originally borrowed the audiobook from Overdrive, but I picked up the physical book at Christmas when I couldn't finish 36 hours of audio in two weeks. Finally after many fits and starts I made it my mission to focus on this monster this summer. Unlike Angelica, I am completely satisfied. 

Hamilton's life is a whirlwind and completely captured my attention. He overcame tremendous odds to even make it to the American Colonies and it was a very interesting read. I really enjoyed the writing style and the narrator of the audiobook was fantastic. I did find myself skimming most of the sections about Hamilton's financial policies. They were a bit over my head and his personal as well as his political battles interested me much more. 

While some of the topics can be a little dry, the final few chapters detailing the duel and its aftermath had me in tears. Chernow does a fantastic job of weaving Hamilton's story through the many historical events he was at and connecting you to his life. I can highly recommend this to any fan of the musical as well as any history buff.

My Last Review --> Iron Kiss by Patricia Briggs