Biographies
by Michelle Obama
Am I good enough?
Michelle Obama says that question followed her for most of her life. A school counsellor told her she wasn't Princeton material. The doubt came back at Princeton, at Harvard Law and in the White House. Her memoir comes in three parts, Becoming Me, Becoming Us and Becoming More.
Hear a sample · read by Laura
She grew up in a small upstairs flat on Chicago's South Side. Her father, Fraser, had multiple sclerosis and still kept going to work at the city water plant. Her mother, Marian, talked to Michelle and her brother Craig as if they were adults, and answered their questions honestly.
Princeton, Harvard Law, then a Chicago law firm. Michelle had done everything expected of her. Then her father died, and so did Suzanne, a close friend from Princeton, of cancer in her twenties. Michelle asked whether this was the life she wanted, and left law for public service.
Her firm asked her to mentor a summer law student, Barack Obama. They married in 1992. With Barack often away for politics, she felt alone with two small girls. She writes openly about couples counselling, where she found she had more say over her own happiness than she'd thought.
In 2008 a remark she made about being proud of her country was twisted, and she was cast as an angry Black woman. As First Lady she chose her own causes, planting a White House vegetable garden and using it to launch Let's Move, on children's health.
Princeton
A school counsellor told her Princeton was out of reach. She applied anyway and got in.
Doubt
Doubt about whether she belonged followed her for years. Slowly she stopped letting it decide for her.
The swerve
She quit a well-paid law job that looked perfect on paper and took work that meant more to her.
Marriage
Her marriage to Barack took real work, couples counselling included. Even a strong marriage has to be tended.
Dignity
When cruel things were said about her family, she chose to answer with dignity.
A story from the book
Michelle learned piano from her great-aunt Robbie, whose piano had a chipped middle C. That chip was how Michelle found her place on the keys. At a recital on a much finer piano, every key looked the same and she froze. Robbie walked up and quietly pointed to middle C.
Hot take · true or myth?
Michelle met Barack when her law firm asked her to mentor him.
True. She was a young lawyer at Sidley & Austin in Chicago, and he came for a summer job. She was his adviser, which is partly why she said no to dating him at first.
One thing to try
Tonight, split your life so far into three parts and give each a title, the way Obama did. Under each, note one moment that changed you. Then write down the doubt you've carried longest, and one time you went ahead anyway.
Knotd has the key ideas from 250+ non-fiction books, each in a few minutes, in plain words. Becoming comes with a Hot Take round to make it stick.
Get the whole book on KnotdOpen in the appAm I good enough? Michelle Obama says that question followed her for most of her life. A school counsellor told her she wasn't Princeton material. The doubt came back at Princeton, at Harvard Law and in the White House. Her memoir comes in three parts, Becoming Me, Becoming Us and Becoming More.
Becoming Me; Asking what she wanted; Becoming Us; Becoming More.
Tonight, split your life so far into three parts and give each a title, the way Obama did. Under each, note one moment that changed you. Then write down the doubt you've carried longest, and one time you went ahead anyway.
Yes. Knotd has the key ideas from Becoming in a few minutes, in plain words, plus a Hot Take round to test them. It's one of 250+ non-fiction books in the app.
