This is an extremely well-crafted book with the right words, the right sentences.
From the first page to the last, she is extremely vocal about racism, how she had to struggle to find her way and how racism is yet so strong and pervasive in the American society.
‘There are truths we face, truths we fairly ignore.”
At the start, her ambivalence towards her law career, wondering whether she had made a wrong choice… honest.
She has narrated every decision, every choice, every turn with a clear choice of words. Some sentences are so powerfully reflective that next time I would like to sit with a highlighter.
Her hesitation and doubts when Barack Obama decided to run for the race, her slow mental integration into politics is very well articulated.
Coming from the South side of Chicago to the White House is an iconic journey.
Michelle Obama’s description of the bubble living as the president’s family makes pleasant reading. When re-elected, we are introduced to an interesting angle: she says on being re-elected, she will now live in the same home, kids will be in the same school for another 4 years……. a sense of continuity to prevail for domestic life for another 4 years.
There are many such thought-provoking perspectives making the book an interesting inward thinking experience too.
Throughout the book she is very emphatic about how the colour of the skin means extra efforts, extra push, extra perseverance to make it through. Education is her passion and it reflects in her activities as the First Lady and in her though process throughout the book.
Honesty in accepting that being her was never easy … specially when you become the First Lady or even if you had this special spot as subconsciously all judged you all the time for your colour.
Her commitment to education, health, mentoring young woman is sincere and laudable. I loved the book, but at the end a faint cynicism creeps in. If a biography is supposed to be honest, then where are the flaws?
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Preeta Chag 