A Life Shaped by Experience in Michelle Obama’s “Becoming”

I’ve been sitting on this book and its review for quite some time now, but in doing so my first time reading Michelle Obama’s Becoming just so happened to coincide with the release of her second book, The Light We Carry.

I’ll be honest, it was my mother who recommended this book to me, and I thought it would be a sweet but otherwise cheesy autobiography written for an audience of middle-aged women.

Whether or not I was the “target audience” of the book, I found myself pleasantly surprised by Michelle Obama’s prose and knack for storytelling. The Obama backstory is one I was already familiar with, but to hear the narrative from Michelle’s perspective was refreshing.

Becoming delves deep into her life and upbringing, beginning with her childhood as a young girl named Michelle Robinson on the South Side of Chicago. Characters from her neighborhood are brought to life through Michelle’s thoughtful recollections of conversations and moments that were key to her development as an individual.

One cannot deny that Barack is a key figure in Michelle’s life. Far too often however she is portrayed as the charming and intelligent First Lady to the more notable President Barack Obama. Becoming however presents a unique glimpse of Michelle as her own person with complex emotions, thoughts, and experiences. The more I read the more I came to empathize with her story. Michelle was far more than a First Lady, she was first and foremost a daughter, sister, friend, classmate, student, lawyer, leader, wife, and mother.

Nevertheless, in reading Becoming I was still reminded of the profound sacrifice that is required from the First Lady of the United States. Michelle was quickly engulfed by the madness of campaigning for the presidency, followed by the constant stress and pressures of Washington. Not only was she uprooted from her community and career in Chicago, but also subjected to constant scrutiny from the media and political opponents. What’s more, she also had two young daughters to care for and protect, as she fought to retain some semblance of normalcy in their lives. Michelle’s experience as FLOTUS highlights the balancing act between family and career that countless women are all too familiar with.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Becoming however is the reminder of how experience shapes us. Michelle Obama would not be the influential woman she is today without her upbringing as Michelle Robinson in a supportive and hardworking black family on the South Side of Chicago. Becoming reminds us that, for better and for worse, we are the culmination of all the interactions and relationships we’ve had throughout our lives. We are to be cognizant of our own stories and use the memory of our experiences to propel us forward.

All that being said, I look forward to borrowing my mom’s copy of The Light We Carry in the near future 😊