As a Canadian, I knew relatively little about Michelle Obama prior to reading this memoir. What I did know stems a bit from what the media has portrayed over the past decade but mostly from what Michelle has done herself. Things ranging from her guest appearances and silly antics (like shopping in disguise) on Ellen, to her experience on Carpool Karaoke with James Corden, and then her various interviews regarding the initiatives and movements that she started as the First Lady. From any of these that I have seen, she has seemed like an inspiring, driven, and put-together woman who has a strong and stable family relationship with a solid marriage.

From the very first paragraph, I was reassured. I knew that I was going to love and enjoy this book and as I was reading Michelle’s story, she confirmed all the previous notions that I had about her. While much of the book is insightful, what I first gleamed about Michelle is that she was someone raised with core values and a strong family life, much like myself. Although our home communities were very diverse (Michelle being from the South Side of Chicago and myself being from rural Oxford County, Ontario), I also felt like we had a similar aspect to our personalities. I was able to identify with Michelle’s desire to succeed and her personal to-do list. The idea that life is a constant goal-checking, task-oriented process is how I have felt since high-school. With my list of goals being reset every year, my ambitious mind is always working toward the checking of the next personal box. But what Michelle allude’s to which I identify currently with is what happens when you fall in love and you have to add your partner’s goals into your list. It then becomes a bit more challenging to continue to check of the boxes of life at the same pace, or even in the same order. And then perhaps some of those boxes change and you have new boxes you never previously imagined. Sometimes vearing off that path is scary and discomforting, especially when it isn’t what you’ve always imagined for yourself. But the advice and wisdom that Michelle offers is that you can’t make decisions based on the fear and the possibility of what might happen. You must take risks, you must support the one you love, and you must have faith that there is a path – even if it is not the one you have controlingly set in your mind.

I greatly appreciate the endevours that Michelle took on as First Lady. What most stood out to me is that she strived to assist with education for young girls and women around the globe. As Michelle states, children will invest more in themselves when they know they are being invested in by the adults and power holders around them. I also believe this, and it’s a large concept that impacts my methodology towards children’s librarianship. I think that Michelle is truly inspiring for her work in this area and I look forward to seeing her endevours continue and grow now that she is outside of the White House.

My final thought is that this book was phenomenal. It is an excellent, well-written memoir about Michelle’s life thus far and I am glad that she chose to share her facinating story with the world. If you have ever been awed by Michelle giving a speech, related to her or laughed with her during a talk-show interview, or simply been inspired by women who face adversity and rise above and overcome the challenges they are given, then you should definitely read Becoming.