Michelle Obama's Autobiography BECOMING is Enlightening, Inspiring and Somewhat Self-Indulgent

Michelle Obama's BECOMING reflects back on her life from a young child on the South side of Chicago (which is mentioned umpteenth times) to meeting & marrying Barack, having babies and becoming the First Black Family in the White House.  She writes candidly what this entailed from her personal view point.  "I'm an ordinary person who found her-self on an extraordinary journey."  I believe BECOMING was written without the aid of a ghost writer.  Michelle's direct & eloquent style mirrored her public persona.  BECOMING is a rare & exciting opportunity to understand what life was like for her as First Lady.   She shares her objectives, her triumphs & failures and those of Barack's.  We admire her unflappable attitude that sustained her & her family through the exciting privileges and the oppressive rigors & restrictions that come with her unofficial role in the White House.  Michelle's life is anything but ordinary.  But as she reiterates throughout, given her humble beginnings she would not have imagined "the swerve in the road" her life took when aligning herself with Barack.  Michelle pays homage to the devotion of her loving, hard-working self-sacrificing parents.  I found the story of her childhood & college days quite interesting.  She professes a mantra of hard work, organization & tenacity as her modus operandi.  It's fair to say that there is a fair amount of conceit in Michelle's self-described drive and self-reliance.  However, the hubris is well founded and lends credibility to her storytelling.  Hearing about the unique experiences, meetings with world leaders & perks as the First Family was fascinating.  So too were her missions to accomplish things to benefit children's health, veterans and education for young women.  There is an eye-opening understanding of the double-edged sword that comes with the responsibilities & privileges.  I hadn't realized the anguish that comes with being placed in this unique & perilous position.  Fear for her family's safety & well-being was omnipresent. This is Michelle's story to tell and her sentiments & experiences reflect heavily on race; the disadvantages, obstacles and injustice that are inherent in our nation to people of color.  "We were the 44th First Family & only the 11th family to spend 2 full terms in the White House.  We were, and would always be, the 1st black one."  Michelle stated, "When Barack was 1st elected, various commentators had naively declared that our country was entering a 'post racial' era, in which skin color would no longer matter."  She went on to enumerate numerous tragedies proving the fallacy of this optimistically "naive" position.   Regardless, Michelle recounts her amazing life in a clear, forthright voice that I wish was still as privy to the public as when  First Lady.  Her overriding message of her memoir is noteworthy.  "There's power in allowing yourself to be known and heard...And there's grace in being willing to know and hear others."