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Becoming

Written by: Michelle Obama
Narrated by: Michelle Obama
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Publisher's Summary

An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former first lady of the United States.

Number one New York Times best seller 

Watch the Emmy-nominated Netflix original documentary

Oprah’s Book Club Pick

NAACP Image Award Winner

One of Essence’s 50 most impactful Black books of the past 50 years  

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 US 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 listeners 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.

©2018 Michelle Obama (P)2018 Random House Audio

What the critics say

“A serious work of candid reflection by a singular figure of early-twenty-first-century America... Becoming is refined and forthright, gracefully written and at times laugh-out-loud funny.” (Isabel Wilkerson, The New York Times Book Review)

Becoming is inspirational without trying to be. From the first words, the very warmth that permeates its author emanates from the pages.... Becoming manages to be a coming-of-age tale, a love story and a family saga all in one. More importantly, this book is a reminder that America is still a work-in-progress, and that hope can be an action word if we allow it to be. Becoming is a balm that America needs, from a woman America does not yet deserve.” (Angie Thomas, Time)

“Deeply personal and refreshingly honest... She’s thoughtful, humorous, bracingly revealing, and when it’s time, she does us all the favor of showing us the human side of a man worshipped by so many.... It’s human and genuine and welcoming to see the layers of humanity she holds open.... Michelle Obama’s story can maybe inspire you to find a path for your own story.” (Shonda Rhimes, Shondaland)

Featured Article: Great Podcast Moments with Michelle Obama


With the launch of Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast, we're shining a light on the former First Lady’s special appearances as a guest on other podcasts. Unsurprisingly, the podcast world suits Mrs. Obama—she’s easy to talk to and a good listener. We’ve dug up some of her best podcast conversations, where she opens up about her childhood, life at the White House, parenting, and so much more. Needless to say, we’re definitely listening.

What listeners say about Becoming

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I tried so hard to love this book...but couldn't..

I was so excited about this book, but after listening for about 2 hours I gave up---the utopian childhood, coupled with seemingly an endless amount of perfection (school, home, life) I stopped. I am partial to finding a kin to people's greatness and flaws---the flaws make it real and demonstrate the life we all truly live. I think Michelle Obama is amazing--I think this book made me feel less than perfect in comparison and therefore made me stop listening. It may actually be her real life was that perfect and that is amazing, it just didn't hold my attention or make me hope with her and care about her....

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Okay

I always find hearing about people’s lives and backgrounds interesting. And this is was. But- that’s all it was. I was kind of hoping for a deeper message, theme etc. Some commentary on... well anything. But it’s just an “and then this happened” type of biography, listing things she did and said.

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32 people found this helpful

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amazing woman!!

everyone young woman should read this book, it is powerful and could change your future.

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19 people found this helpful

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Boring book with unnecessary details

Bought the book to learn about the life of Michael Obama but didn't know she would give such tiny details which are not even important such as her 3rd grade classmate full name. She goes on to tell her story with such details the entire time which gets really boring. Struggled to finish it. Not worth listening to if you want to know her inspiring story.

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About BECOMING

This beautiful story is told so personally by this magnificent, “ordinary” woman.
I learned so much listening to it; about Chicago, where I, too grew up...more than twenty years earlier than Michelle. I learned about the evolving city; a thousand things I never knew or understood.
I have a new appreciation for the stories we all carry and how imperative it is to tell them. Michelle describes the many ways of becoming; that we’re never finished or finite— changes weave
backward and forward in our stories to give us more choices—better choices. Spending all these hours absorbing all she offers has been the greatest privilege. I miss hearing her talking to me already. Perhaps one of the most important gifts to me in hearing this is a new respect for—a new understanding of optimism. It’s not something we stand around waiting to feel — it’s something we grow and give.
Thank you Michelle. ❤️🤸🏿‍♀️

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Saddening

I was actually saddened by this book, in how a person can view the world and her circumstances as negatively as she does. I'll account but one example here.

The first section of the book details her growing up in a two-parent middle-class home in the 1970's, in the United States. She accounts how the piano she took classes on was not tuned properly, and there may have been some broken keys, which she realized after playing later on a nice grande piano shortly after.

It is simply amazing that people before us set up a system of strings of particular length and thickness, aligning them in such a way for them to play particular tones at a keystroke, ordering them by semi-tone. It's amazing that people would develop a skill on top of that, to arrange the playing of notes in such a way as to create music with their hands off of those strings. It's amazing that people further developed a system of language to music, and that people before her birth designed musical pieces for others to play and to practice. The very fact that she was able to play the piano at night, with electricity, puts her above almost all humans in history in terms of opportunity and privilege.

Instead of seeing any of that and being grateful, she ends that section by pointing out how - she imagines - some of the other children probably had better pianos than she did, that they were probably tuned closer to that grande piano than hers was, and probably didn't have broken keys. Thus, she probably had less privilege than other people did, and for this we should really take note.

I really did view pianos that way (the positive way) when I was a kid. Heck, every day I was in continual amazement at how many things people set up for us. I was amazed that a stranger actually comes to our house every week to take our garbage away forever. I was amazed at the idea of a television. I didn't have access to a piano as she did, but their very existence on this earth was amazing to me, and I was grateful to be in a world where such things even existed.

I strongly urge potential readers not to learn from this person. There are far better ways to look at life than through the dance of mimetic desire, looking for crisis and scapegoats in the form of oppressors. The one value in this book is that she seems unaware of this condition of her character, giving us a brutally honest exposition because she does not know to guard it.

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inspiring

This is the first book I finished on audible. It is so touching and inspiring that I look forward every time I have bits and pieces of time to listen to it. Michelle Obama told her story so authentically and passionately that I did not want it to end, also did not want to put it away. And I am not even American. Recommended to all.

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Intimate and inspiring

Michelle Obama invites us through an honest, candid tour of her life, proving that she is a remarkable person, yet very human. I will look for more to come from this woman as she still has so much to share. Thank you for sharing your story so far.

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Such an amazing human being.

Lovingly written and narrated. Smart and funny. Such a fierce and focused woman. Refreshingly candid. Everything I hoped for. Not only a good role model, but love the resilience and strength in the face of adversity.

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Brilliant First Lady, Brilliant Book

If you want to read this book to learn more about Barak Obama, don't. You will get some insights into the man's character and his story from the perspective of a loving wife, but that's anout it. This not what the book is about.

Mrs. Obama describes her journey and her family's journey eloquently and honestly. She shares enough to show you a glimpse into her life, but not so much as to endanger her family's privacy.

Throughout the book, I felt that I am listening to a brilliant mind, to a Harvard educated lawyer, to a loving wife and to "The Mother in Chief". Always compassionate, grounded, reasonable and caring.

My only gripe is that I wish the narration would have been done by a professional narrator. Mrs. Obama does great, but it could get a bit monotonous at times.

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