Book SummaryBecoming, by Michelle Obama

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Becoming

From the time she was a small child, Michelle Obama's parents taught her the importance of speaking up and telling her own story in her authentic voice—reconciling her past, present, and future and feeling proud of it all. As first lady of the United States, Michelle passed on this advice to thousands of young people, and she hopes that by sharing her own life’s narrative, she can inspire others.

As her memoir begins, Michelle has recently left the White House after eight years as first lady from January 2009 to January 2017. Along with her husband, former President Barack Obama, and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha, she has moved into a suburban home not far from the White House. For the first time in many years, Michelle finds herself alone with her thoughts in a quiet house.

Each member of the Obama family is transitioning into new chapters of their lives. Barack is exploring career opportunities for his post-Presidential years. The Obama children are entering adulthood—Malia, the older daughter, is taking a gap year before starting college at Harvard University, and Sasha will finish high school in another two years. Michelle is free from the constraints of her highly public life as first lady. Simultaneously, her duties and responsibilities as a mother have diminished.

Michelle describes the simple pleasures she can now enjoy, which she didn't have while living in the White House: She can go outside and play in the yard with her dogs without the Secret Service asking where she is going. She can open her bedroom windows and let in fresh air whenever she pleases. She can make her own cheese toast without the kitchen staff rushing in to help.

Even though a cadre of Secret Service agents is holed up in the Obamas' garage command post—and agents will accompany the family for the rest of their lives—Michelle cherishes her newfound freedom and quiet time. This is her opportunity to reflect and write her life story.

Eight themes weave through Michelle’s memoir:

1. Becoming Is an Ongoing Challenge

Michelle is a woman who is perpetually striving to become a better version of herself. Through the process of “becoming,” she learns to adapt to her changing circumstances and not get stuck holding fast to the same identity or set of beliefs. She learns to grow and change in pursuit of the person she’d like to become.

Michelle discovers that personal growth has no finish line; there’s no moment in time when she’s done evolving. “Becoming” is an ongoing process of self-creation. It requires understanding there’s always more work to be done.

Michelle’s early years didn’t allow for this kind of flexibility. As a child, she focused on doing the “right” thing to please her teachers and family. She wanted only to make a good impression and earn others’ praise and admiration: She strived for straight A’s and perfect attendance in school. She told adults she wanted to be a pediatrician when she grew up because they seemed pleased by that answer. She didn’t think about what her passions were or what she wanted from her life.

Michelle followed a precise and predetermined path of “checking off boxes”—earning top honors in elementary and high school, getting admitted to top-notch universities, climbing the corporate ladder at a high-profile law firm. She never stopped to consider whether any of it made her happy. When her free-spirited college friend died from cancer at age 26, Michelle had a wake-up call. She realized she didn’t want the life she had worked so hard to achieve. She had to muster the courage to veer off the path she'd followed for years and find her path into a more meaningful future.

Despite her mother’s objections, Michelle quit her job and took a much lower paying position in the Chicago mayor’s office. She calls this “finding the courage to swerve.” She was moving closer to living her own true story, not simply living up to others’ expectations.

Michelle learned to swerve again after Barack became an important figure in her life. His passion for working to build a better world encouraged her to seek out more fulfilling work in the nonprofit sector. She wound up holding a series of civic-minded positions that were far more enriching than her law career.

But what she loved most about Barack—his idealism and desire to help people and change the world—also challenged her vision of how her life should be. Michelle wanted a private family life like the one she grew up in—days filled with simple routines and the whole family sitting down to the dinner table every night. She knew that life with Barack meant a life in the political arena, which meant chaotic schedules, the glare of the media spotlight, and never-ending public scrutiny.

Despite Michelle’s misgivings about political life, she loved Barack, so she gave up her predetermined ideas about what her life should look like. She evolved as a partner to Barack and as a person—she campaigned for him when he ran for Senate and for two terms as President. Ultimately she became one of the most popular first ladies in American history.

Once her time in the White House ended, Michelle had to begin the process of “becoming” all over again. Leaving behind her role in politics and with two daughters nearing adulthood, it was up to Michelle to recreate herself and adapt to her new reality.

2. Striving, Hard Work, and Self-Determination

Through her parents' encouragement and her own hard work, Michelle rose above her circumstances. She grew up in South Shore, a working-class Chicago neighborhood. She, her brother, and parents shared a one-bedroom apartment that the family rented from her mother’s aunt. Her father worked for the city water department and suffered from multiple sclerosis.

Michelle studied diligently in public school and later graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She held high-powered jobs as a corporate lawyer,...

Becoming Summary Preface: Michelle Decides to Tell Her Story (2017)

From the time she was a small child, Michelle Obama's parents taught her the importance of speaking up and telling her own story in her authentic voice—reconciling her past, present, and future and feeling proud of it all. As first lady of the United States, Michelle passed on this advice to thousands of young people, and she hopes that by sharing her own life’s narrative, she can inspire others.

As her memoir begins, Michelle has recently left the White House after eight years as first lady from January 2009 to January 2017. Along with her husband, former President Barack Obama, and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha, she has moved into a suburban home not far from the White House. For the first time in many years, Michelle finds herself alone with her thoughts in a quiet house.

Each member of the Obama family is transitioning into a new stage of their lives. Barack is exploring career opportunities for his post-Presidential years. The Obama children are entering adulthood—Malia, the older daughter, is taking a gap year before starting college at Harvard University, and Sasha will finish high school in another two years. **Michelle is free from the constraints of...

Becoming Summary Chapters 1-2: Childhood and Family Life (1964-1976)

These chapters focus on Michelle's youth in urban Chicago, the people who made up her loving, close-knit family, and her introduction to her own natural ambition. This is young Michelle’s first stage of “becoming,” in which she learns that she can dictate much about her own future through hard work and striving.

Early Years

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born in January 1964. She grew up in Chicago in one of the poorer blocks of a racially mixed, working-class neighborhood called South Shore. Michelle's parents rented a small apartment on the second floor of a house owned by Michelle's great-aunt Robbie. Her parents slept in the single bedroom; Michelle and her older brother Craig shared the living room.

Michelle and Craig were surrounded by extended family members throughout their early years. Great-aunt Robbie and her husband lived on the first floor, and Michelle's grandparents and cousins lived only a few blocks away.

Michelle's Childhood Dreams

Young Michelle's aspirations were uncomplicated. She wanted a dog. She wanted her family to live in a house with two floors—upstairs and downstairs—and have a four-door station wagon parked in the driveway. In...

Becoming Summary Chapters 3-5: Coming of Age (1970s)

These chapters focus on Michelle and her brother Craig as they begin to grow into adulthood, learn about life's risks and responsibilities, and come to grips with the harsh reality of racial discrimination. In these years, Michelle begins to learn that there is more than one version of Black identity—that being Black isn’t tied to a single mode of speech, thought, or action—and that it’s up to her to create who she wants to be.

Learning to Be Prepared

When Michelle was in fifth grade, she and her brother learned a hard lesson about life’s uncertainty. One of her classmates died in a house fire, a too-common tragedy in South Shore's aging buildings. Because most households didn't have smoke detectors, entire families sometimes perished.

Michelle and Craig attended the boy's funeral, and Craig, who was now a teenager, was deeply upset. He had always been a protective big brother to Michelle, but now life's risks had become more apparent. He decided his family must have an emergency plan in case of a house fire. He was especially concerned about his father, Fraser, who had little or no agility because of his multiple sclerosis.

Craig and Michelle began conducting fire...

Shortform Exercise: Who Were Your Doubters?

When Michelle told her high school counselor she'd like to apply to Princeton, the counselor told her she "wasn't Princeton material." But Michelle ignored her advice and got into Princeton anyway.

Think of a time when you voiced your ambitions, and someone responded by doubting you. Who was it, and what did they say?

Shortform Exercise: How Did Your Hometown Shape You?

Michelle's South Shore neighborhood shaped her in a profound way. As she says, where we come from has a strong effect on the person we become—it's a major contributor to our character.

Describe the neighborhood or region you grew up in. List two advantages and two disadvantages of growing up there.

Becoming Summary Chapters 6-7: Princeton Years (1981-1985)

These chapters focus on Michelle's undergraduate years at Princeton University, her experience as a Black woman in classrooms full of white men, and her first job working with children. These years are critical to Michelle’s “becoming”: As her skills and capabilities develop, she learns to believe in herself. She sees that even in the most daunting situations in college or in her work-study job, she can rise to meet the challenge.

A New Start at Princeton

In 1981, 17-year-old Michelle went off to Princeton, leaving behind everything she loved in Chicago, including her boyfriend of the last year. Although she knew he was a great guy and she loved him, she also knew he didn't fit into her new life.

Being in the Minority

At Princeton, Michelle experienced being in the minority for the first time. Her first few weeks at Princeton were an orientation period just for minority students, so she didn't immediately notice much disparity between herself and her peers. Princeton admitted some of the students to fill affirmative action quotas; others were student-athletes in the top tier of their sports. Some incoming freshmen were much like her—exceptional...

Becoming Summary Chapters 8-9: Law Career and Meeting Barack (1989-1990)

In these chapters, Michelle jumps forward in her narrative, skipping past her years at Harvard Law School to her job at a high-end Chicago law firm and the summer she meets Barack. Michelle begins to evolve from someone who is solely career- and achievement-focused to someone who wants to be wife and mother, and she begins to question whether her law career was the right choice.

Return to Chicago

At 25 years old, holding degrees from Harvard and Princeton, Michelle moved back to her hometown of Chicago. Her new law office was on the 47th floor of a building she had passed by many times on her way to high school. She became an upwardly mobile lawyer who worked 70 hours per week, owned a closet full of Armani suits, had a wine subscription service, and drove a Saab.

Michelle moved back into her old South Shore home, living in the upstairs apartment she was raised in. Her parents lived downstairs in the space where great-aunt Robbie, the piano teacher, lived before she died. (Robbie willed them the house.)

Michelle enjoyed visiting with her parents every day before and after work. Her brother Craig, now an investment banker, had also returned to live in Chicago with...

Becoming Summary Chapters 10-12: Fraser’s Death and the Obamas’ Marriage (1990-1993)

These chapters focus on the death of Michelle's father, Michelle and Barack's engagement and marriage, and Michelle’s decision to leave her law career to work at Chicago City Hall. Although her career transition posed a challenge, Michelle is transforming into someone who makes choices for herself instead of trying to impress or please other people.

Rethinking Her Future

In the summer of 1990, Barack returned to Chicago as a summer associate at a different law firm and moved into Michelle's apartment in her parents' house. This gave Marian, Fraser, and Barack a chance to get to know each other. But he soon returned to Cambridge to attend to his duties as president of the Harvard Law Review. Barack was the first African-American to hold this position.

Michelle realized that Barack's future looked bright and bold while hers seemed lackluster. She felt serious doubts about her choice of career. Practicing corporate law held little meaning for her. She didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life, and she felt somewhat intimidated by Barack's confidence that he was ready to make a difference in the world. She started writing in a journal to sort through her...

Shortform Exercise: Knowing When to Swerve

Michelle Obama writes about being a “box checker” as a child, someone who strives for perfect attendance and straight A’s. She followed a straight-line path to success, checking off one box after another until she reached her academic and career goals. But later in life, she learned she had to “swerve” to adjust to life’s circumstances. (For example, she veered away from corporate law to a more meaningful but lesser paying job.)

In general, do you see yourself as someone who checks boxes or someone who swerves? (To think of it another way: Do you see yourself as a meticulous planner or as someone who is more spontaneous in your decision-making?) What makes you say this?

Becoming Summary Chapters 13-14: Career Changes and Motherhood (1993-2003)

These chapters focus on Michelle's career moves—first to the nonprofit Public Allies and then to the University of Chicago—as well as her challenges in getting pregnant and the eventual birth of the Obamas' two daughters. Becoming a mother fulfills a lifelong goal for Michelle—and plays an important role in her evolution as a person.

Executive Director at Public Allies

After Michelle left her job at Chicago City Hall, she was hired as the executive director for the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an organization that sought to inspire a new generation of community leaders. Much like Teach for America or AmeriCorps, Public Allies trained talented young people through 10-month apprenticeships in civic-minded jobs and nonprofit organizations.

As the 29-year-old executive director, Michelle was thrilled to have the chance to run her own nonprofit. She relished being in charge of setting up an office, hiring staff, seeking out donors, and finding suitable places for young people to work. Most of all, she enjoyed selecting the "allies" themselves, the young people who would participate. She searched out candidates at community colleges and urban high schools....

Becoming Summary Chapter 15: Michelle's Early Forties (2004-2006)

This chapter focuses on Michelle's dual roles as career woman and mother, Barack's tenure as a U.S. Senator, and how Hurricane Katrina affects his decision to run for U.S. President. At this stage in Michelle’s “becoming,” she feels satisfied with her career choice and overjoyed to be a wife and mother. But she’s about to face new challenges as Barack moves deeper into the political arena.

At 40 years old, Michelle's life settled into a fairly happy routine. She was careful not to allow her job at the hospital to overtake her family life. She felt like she was "pulling it off"— balancing a challenging and satisfying job with the joys of motherhood. Unlike in her younger years, she no longer threw herself completely into her work. She was protective of her time to make sure she provided a stable life for her girls. She discovered that living this way made her happy.

Barack Runs for Senate

Believing that he could make big changes in Washington, D.C., Barack toyed with the idea of running for U.S. Senate. Michelle tried to discourage him.

If Barack ran, his campaign would be especially difficult because he was only an Illinois state legislator. He was unknown...

Shortform Exercise: Supporting Your Partner When You Don't Agree

Michelle decided to support Barack's run for the Presidency despite her deep misgivings about politics and her longing for a private family life.

How do you resolve career conflicts—or other major conflicts of interest—in your relationship?

Becoming Summary Chapters 16-18: Campaign for the Presidency (2007-2008)

These chapters focus on Barack's successful run for U.S. President, Michelle's role in campaigning, and the challenges of living in the media spotlight. Michelle must confront her aversion to public life and distaste for politics and find a way to support her partner without losing her own precious sense of self.

Barack Announces His Candidacy

Michelle truly believed Barack had the intelligence, temperament, discipline, and empathy to be a great president. She believed in his ideals and his ability to bring them to life. But she also knew enough about America to think the country might not yet be ready for a Black president. She had an unshakeable feeling that no matter how hard he campaigned, he wasn't going to win.

On February 10, 2007, Barack prepared to stand at an outdoor podium in a freezing Illinois storm to announce his candidacy. Michelle worried that the awful weather would mean a small crowd, and Barack’s kickoff event might be a dismal failure. She worried that her daughters would trip over their feet or look bored on stage. She worried whether she or they were dressed properly. She was painfully aware of the image she was supposed to project: **"I knew...

Becoming Summary Chapters 19-20: Inauguration and First Year in the White House

These chapters focus on Michelle's role as first lady, her family's adjustment to life in the White House, her plan to plant a White House garden, and her first visit with Queen Elizabeth. Michelle initially feels daunted by the intensely public role she plays in American life, but she soon adapts to her new reality and manages to put her own unique spin on being first lady.

Preparing to Be the First Black First Lady

In the 76 days between the election and the inauguration, Michelle started to plan what she would do as first lady. After the hard knocks Michelle had to withstand during Barack's presidential campaign, she had a fair idea of the scrutiny that awaited. As the first Black woman in American history to serve as first lady, she would be "measured by a different yardstick."

The job of a first lady does not come with a job description or even with official responsibilities. And yet, the position wields tremendous power, and Michelle wanted to use that power to achieve positive changes. Since she was free to select her own agenda, **she planned to oversee several initiatives that would offer better support for military families and teach America's kids about...

Becoming Summary Chapters 21-22: Balancing Public and Private Life (2009-2013)

These chapters focus on how the Obamas learn to navigate their public and private lives, Michelle's fears about her family's safety, and her successful initiatives for children's health and military families. Michelle is now firmly entrenched in her role as first lady—and every day makes her more fully aware of the advantages and disadvantages of that role.

Barack had been in office for four months when Malia and Sasha received the present they'd been promised throughout his campaign. Senator Ted Kennedy gave them Bo, a seven-month-old Portuguese water dog. The entire family loved Bo, and he was permitted to wander through most of the White House rooms.

Date Night for the Obamas

About the same time as the puppy joined the family, Barack and Michelle went on a date in New York City to have dinner and see a Broadway show. They had given up the customary date night they used to enjoy in Chicago, and the pair wanted to have an evening alone. Of course, the Secret Service had to plan every move, block off streets, and thoroughly check out every patron who entered the restaurant. Since the couple had to travel in the presidential motorcade, streets were blocked off and...

Shortform Exercise: The Importance of Mentors

Michelle described a number of women who served as mentors for her at different times in her life—from her boss at her work-study job at Princeton to her colleagues at Chicago City Hall to past first ladies in the White House. Each mentor helped her to see what kind of person she could become.

Name three of the most important mentors in your life. Next to each name, write what they've helped you to achieve.

Shortform Exercise: The Importance of Friendship

When Michelle moved to Washington, D.C., she had to work harder to maintain her relationships with her Chicago girlfriends. But because these friends had always been her "circle of strength," she made an extra effort to keep them close (for example, planning getaways at Camp David with them).

List three people who are part of your circle of strength. Next to each name, write how that person supports you.

Becoming Summary Chapter 23: Second Term in the White House (2011-2016)

These chapters focus on Barack's second term in the White House, Michelle's higher education and girls' schooling initiatives, and the Obamas' campaign against gun violence. Now that Michelle has had four years of experience as first lady, she’s able to settle into her role and achieve more of the public-service goals that matter to her.

Barack's popularity soared briefly after bin Laden was killed, but by late summer 2011, Barack was taking a beating by a group of Republican senators who voted down almost all of his bills. The county was still in a dismal economic state from the 2008 financial meltdown. Americans were worried about a possible recession. Many politicians and voters blamed Barack for the mess. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the Republican Party’s most important task was to make sure Barack was “a one-term president.” It seemed that despite the state of the country, the Republicans had only one goal, and that was to see Barack fail.

Meeting Nelson Mandela in South Africa

That same summer, Michelle, Malia, and Sasha were scheduled to travel to South Africa for a goodwill visit. Michelle had speeches to make and meetings to attend. She...

Becoming Summary Chapter 24 & Epilogue: The Obama Era Ends (2017)

The final pages focus on Sasha and Malia's life in the White House, the last year of the Obama administration, Hillary Clinton's and Donald Trump's campaigns for the presidency, and the 2017 inauguration of Donald Trump. After the inauguration, Michelle and her family depart the White House, and her next stage of “becoming” begins. After eight years of an extremely unusual life, she must now adjust to the world beyond the White House and the new reality that her daughters are nearly grown.

Sasha and Malia Grow Up

In the Obamas’ eighth year at the White House, Malia graduated from high school and traveled to Europe. At Malia's graduation ceremony, Michelle looked over at Barack, who had tears in his eyes as Malia walked across the stage, and felt sorry for him. Since Barack was ending his second term as President, he was nearly finished with his service to the country and would soon have more time to spend with his daughters. But now Malia was an independent young woman who was ready to leave the nest. Both parents felt sad that their oldest was preparing to leave home.

Teenagers in the Spotlight

Michelle feels proud of Sasha and Malia for how well they...