If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s the power of using your voice.”
Becoming is divided in three parts -Becoming Me, Becoming Us and Becoming More along with a bunch of pictures of Michelle’s childhood, college days and of her family.
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The first part is about Michelle LaVaughn Robinson’s childhood. About growing up in the South Side of Chicago( a neighborhood for blue collar workers), her relationship with her parents, her brother and her family. The intergenerational trauma suffered by both of her grandfather’s because of a systematic oppression of African Americans and the cynical attitude towards life that they went on to embody as a result of it. Growing up , Michelle always had an anxiety ringing in her head asking her a very specific gnawing question, always at the back of her head – ‘Am I good enough?’ This question becomes the fuel to the firebrand that is the Michelle we know now. Who went to Princeton, followed by Harvard Law School and then finally working in a top law firm in Chicago where she incidentally meets Barack as his mentor. Michelle as a young adult was a person who strives to be good enough for herself always making sure that she was making the most out of the opportunities with a strong work ethic and lazer sharp focus on who she wants to be for herself. However she was also someone who has anxiety and in the book she describes her self doubt with an iconic line – “Failure is a feeling long before it becomes an actual result.” From being a cynical person for example judging her boyfriend who didn’t want to chose the traditional path for a career after college or her best friend Suzanne who chose going to a lower ranked college instead of an ivy league school for masters just because she wanted to travel around and enjoy her life and not just study. Which is why when she loses her best friend Suzanne to cancer a few years later it comes as a wake up call to Michelle. Opening up her eyes to how life is not just about to ticking things off a list but also about enjoying it as our time is limited. This is when she finally decides to change her career track from a corporate lawyer to working in a government office to be of aid to people who cannot afford to pay a huge sum of legal fees.
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The second part of the book talks about her marriage to Barack, his intercontinental family, a glimpse into his unconventional childhood, the birth of her two daughters Malia and Sasha and Barack’s entry into politics.She suffers from a miscarriage and talks about how common it is for women yet somehow it still remains a taboo topic to discuss about. We get a sneak peek on the other side of the curtain when she describes the struggles and pressures that a political career puts on a marriage and her children. Barack’s run for Senate and his run for Presidency are covered in depth describing his campaign trail and the kind of people they met and the numerous people that helped them win elections. The kind of bullying a strong african american woman has to face at the hands of the media for not feeding the collective image of a candidates wife being just a demure, housewife but actually having her own opinions and thoughts on matters is interesting to read. We also get to know that even Michelle didn’t fully believe that Barack could actually win the Presidency not until he won the Iowa Caucus anyway.
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The third part is about their transition and experience of the White House. About the daily affairs and the expectations that America has from their POTUS ( President of the United States) and FLOTUS ( First Lady of the United States). Right from carrying a nuclear football which is a 45 pound suitcase carrying the nuclear codes, the Secret Service Agents and the minute by minute report that a President gets about what goes on in the country. She mentions how the earlier FLOTUS’s Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton’s advice on how to be a First Lady helps her make the transition for herself and her kids. How everything about her was under the scrutiny of the public eye right from her dressing style to her ‘Breaching Protocol’ when she accidentally hugged the Queen during her visit to Buckingham Palace for the G20 summit. The work done by the Obama’s, the constant threat to life to her and her family, the two shootings that took place at the White House all leave us with a deep sense of empathy for the Obamas. Barack Obama’s second run for Presidency and her views on Trump’s critiques are also an interesting treat to read.
It’s so much more than just an autobiography, because what it actually does is inspire. Inspire people from minorities to strive for their dreams , it is an account of representation for all the strong feminist girls out there that YOU are more than just someone’s daughter, wife , mother and it is important for you to be your own person.
“Am I good enough? Yes we are!”
Rating- 4/5
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