Becoming

Becoming is a memoir by Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States from 2008-2016, originally published in 2018. In addition to describing her time in the White House, Obama details her upbringing, her education, her work in community outreach, and her relationship with former president Barack Obama, all of which contribute to the process of becoming the woman she is today. Becoming was the bestselling book of the year in 2018 and received a Grammy for the Best Spoken Word Album; in 2020, Netflix made a documentary centering around Obama’s book tour. This guide is based on the Random House LLC 2018 edition.

Plot Summary

Michelle Robinson Obama details her childhood growing up in the South Side of Chicago with her parents, Fraser Robinson III and Marian Shields Robinson, and her older brother, Craig Robinson. A bright, determined student, Michelle is aided by relatives and teachers who support her intelligence and encourage her to aim higher than her working-class background and rapidly changing neighborhood.

Michelle attends Princeton University, then later Harvard Law School, where she notices a decided lack of diversity among her peers.