Becoming by Michelle Obama

I waited for like three months to get this on audiobook from the library. And it was worth it! I really enjoyed listening to Obama's memoir about her life. The first few chapters about her childhood were less interesting to me, but I totally understand why she needed to include them--to help set the background of her life because that helped to frame all of her future decisions and desires. Most of her career shifts and interests stemmed from her desire to reach out to those who grew up like her, on the South Side of Chicago, but who didn't have the same help and opportunities and support to go to an Ivy League school like she did. I was really interested to learn more about her background and what she did before going to the White House, and I loved how relatable she was. I felt like she was exactly like me with her husband going into politics--she is very outspoken about the fact that she didn't want Barack going into politics, that she was always hoping that he would not get elected for whatever race he was running for, and that she wanted him home with their family more. But eventually she realized he had really good things to offer and she wanted the country to have a good president like him. I felt like that was an interesting choice to have to make--to have to basically sacrifice your husband to the greater good, so that he could help the whole country of America, but basically to miss out on having him at home with your family. She said that when he became president, they actually got to see him more often because he was always able to be there for dinner, whereas when he was a state senator and senator he was always away. I don't know that I could have withstood that sort of decision with as much grace as Michelle Obama did. She sounds like she basically had to be a single parent almost all of the time, and have to wrestle with her decisions about what to be and what to do. I loved hearing about her time in the White House and learning more about her initiatives that she embraced as the First Lady, and I loved how she was honest but classy in talking about Donald Trump. She made it clear that she did not like him or respect him, but only mentioned him a few times and didn't dwell on what a nasty piece of work he is. She talked about the election night when the numbers started coming in showing that he was going to win, she just left the room and went to sleep because she wanted to delay knowing that he was going to win for as long as possible--which was exactly the same response that I had as well.

All in all, I really got a sense that I would like Michelle Obama after listening to this. She definitely seemed classy, and I really respected her. After two years of Donald Trump in the White House, it makes me sad to look back and see what it was like having two decent, hard-working, caring people there just before him.