After reading Becoming a few years ago, I had high hopes for The Light We Carry. Truthfully, it fell a little flat for me. The first section of this book, had I not been reading it for my book club, would have been enough for me to DNF and not think twice about it. If these chapters had not been written by the Michelle Obama, it could've been pasted directly from any one of a thousand blogs with similarly generic life advice. Part One read more to me like a cheesy self-help book, geared more toward middle-aged, probably white women. It lacked Michelle's voice in any meaningful way.

Parts two and three really turned things around for me. Finally, Michelle! I loved her chapters about marriage and motherhood, about code-switching and "going high". While the lessons didn't get any more unique, they did come with that signature wit and voice that I loved so much in Becoming. I thought her discussion of the phenomenon of code switching was an excellent introduction for individuals who might be new to the topic, new to the idea of being an "only", as she put it. I liked that she discussed her educational and occupational difficulties as a black woman in a way that was reflective and digestible for those who may be considering these things for the first time without sugar coating the reality of her (and many other) women's experience.

Overall, I expected more from this book, but I'm glad I pushed through and was still able to find the Michelle we've all come to know and love.