Michelle Obama, in simple terms, is a force. She writes about her life journey in her memoir titled “Becoming.” The book was released in November of last year and is divided into three parts.

The parts, aptly named Becoming Me, Becoming Us, and Becoming More, tell the stories of her life growing up, building her relationship with Barack, and the legacy she continues to form after her family left the White House, respectively.

Memorable anecdotes from her life are seamlessly weaved throughout the book. It is evident that the stories and lessons she learned that helped her “become” are all connected, as she tells them retrospectively.

I was determined to be someone who told the truth, using my voice to lift up the voiceless when I could, and to not disappear on people in need (p. 382).

Her stories highlight the motivators of her life and the honest struggles that surrounded her childhood and young adulthood. She bravely shares very personal journeys, including a miscarriage, struggles with pregnancy, If you are having problems with fertility try the best prenatal vitamins , and the decision to seek couples counseling.

She speaks of Barack as someone with the kind of drive who is nothing short of sensational.

We get a peek into their humble beginnings as a motivated couple, and a bit of behind the scenes to campaigning – Michelle’s reluctancy to politics – and program development throughout Barack’s presidential terms.

We get to see examples of their playful banter, like when she talks about Election Day in 2012:

That day, I stared for a few extra seconds at the little oblong bubble next to my husband’s name for president of the United States. After almost twenty-one months of campaigning, attacks, and exhaustion, this was it – the last thing I needed to do.

Barack glanced my way and laughed. “You still trying to make up your mind?” he said. “Need a little more time?” (p. 274).

We witness her struggles of living in the White House and her attempts to create planned normalcy for her daughters, Sasha and Malia. But no matter what the situation, being a mother was always her first and foremost priority. After all, even though they were one of the most influential families in the world, Barack and her were still just two parents trying to raise their kids.

In the middle of the book, there is a short photoseries that gives visuals to the stories she tells, and through them, we see a highlight reel of her life.

The end of the book centers on how she took what she has learned throughout her whirlwind life, and how she plans to continue to do the work that she and Barack have always been drawn to.

We see her reflections during their last days in office, and the hope she had for the nearing unknown future:

We were at the end now, truly. I found myself caught between looking back and looking forward, mulling over one question in particular: What lasts?

We were the forty-fourth First Family and only the eleventh family to spend two full terms in the White House. We were, and would always be, the first black one. I hoped that when future parents brought their children to visit, the way I’d brought Malia and Sasha when their father was a senator, they’d be able to point out some reminder of our family’s time here. I thought it was important to register our presence within the larger history of the place (p. 412).

“Becoming” is an inspiring piece that lets us in to the fascinating world of the Obama’s. Reading Michelle’s perspective on their historical family and the influence that they had (and still have) breaks down the often-false parasocial viewpoint that the everyday person has about this family.

Her book gives audiences a chance to get to know the real her, in her own words, and after reading it, it’s hard not to feel inspired to become an indomitable force too.