About
Becoming is a memoir of Michelle Obama’s life, where she describes her childhood and how she found her own voice; her time in the White House as first lady; her public campaign and her role as a mother. The main theme of book is believing that we become ourselves over a period and that we are always growing and changing. The book has 24 chapters and are divided into three sections: Becoming Me, Becoming Us, and Becoming More.
Becoming Me traces Michelle's early life growing up on the South Side of Chicago with her parents. Becoming Us departs from the beginning of the Obamas' relationship and follows their marriage, and the beginning of Barack’s political career in the Illinois State Senate. Becoming More takes the readers through Barack Obama's presidency, Michelle’s focus on her Let's Move campaign, and her role as a mother to her two daughters - Malia and Sasha along with the other aspects of the Obama's life as first family.
Plot
This book focuses on the fact that Michelle was a box checker as a child. She strived for perfection in everything that she did. Becoming tells of challenges Michelle faced as a child to the present day. She reminds us that personal growth never ends and we are always evolving. She challenges her readers to find out: Who are we and who do we want to become?
About the Author
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born January 17, 1964, on the South Side of Chicago to Fraser and Marian Robinson. She was raised in a family where the mother stayed home, the father worked, and the family had dinner at the table. She is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. Early in her career, she met her future husband, Barrack Obama while working at the law firm Sidley & Austin. Michelle married Barack in 1992 and served as first lady of United States from 2009 to 2017 and was also an attorney and author.
Major Characters
Major characters in book are Michelle, Barack, Sasha and Malia Obama. Malia and Sasha are the Obama’s daughters. Barack Obama is Michelle’s husband, and she mentored him over the summer during her time as an attorney at the firm Sidley & Austin in Chicago. Barack is intelligent, dedicated, and humble; his promising future in law was noted during his first year at Harvard Law School. Michelle felt that Barack had an easy and natural relationship with her parents and brother and was welcomed into the family with open arms. After struggling with infertility, Barack and Michelle had two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and they become a great parents and was devoted to their children. Michelle and Barack faced many setbacks in their career because their children became a priority over many of their career choices. After a long struggle with infertility, the Obamas welcomed Malia in 1998 and Sasha in 2001. Their children had a significant impact on the careers of both of their parents.
Michelle Obama
- Mother
- Lawyer
- Author
Malia Obama
Daughter
Barrack Obama
- Father
- Former President
Sasha Obama
Daughter
Reviews
Total book sales were around 725,000 copies in the United States during its first day, making it the second best-selling debut for any book in 2018. Barnes and Noble reported that Becoming sold 1.4 million copies in its first week and after 15 days, became the best-selling book in the US for the year 2018. By November 2020 the book has sold 14 million copies worldwide.