Michelle: A Biography

by Liza Mundy

She can be funny and sharp-tongued, warm and blunt, empathic and demanding. Who is the woman Barack Obama calls "the boss"? In Michelle, Washington Post writer Liza Mundy paints a revealing and intimate portrait, taking us inside the marriage of the most dynamic couple in politics today. She shows how well they complement each other: Michelle, the highly organized, sometimes intimidating, list-making pragmatist; Barack, the introspective political charmer who won't pick up his socks but shoots for the stars. Their relationship, like those of many couples with two careers and two children, has been so strained at times that he has had to persuade her to support his climb up the political ladder. And you can't blame her for occasionally regretting it: In this campaign, it is Michelle who has absorbed much of the skepticism from voters about Obama. One conservative magazine put her on the cover under the headline "Mrs. Grievance."
Michelle's story carries with it all the extraordinary achievements and lingering pain of America in the post-civil rights era. She grew up on the south side of Chicago, the daughter of a city worker and a stay-at-home mom in a neighborhood rocked by white flight. She was admitted to Princeton amid an angry debate about affirmative action and went on to Harvard Law School, where she was more comfortable doing pro-bono work for the poor than gunning for awards with the rest of her peers. She became a corporate lawyer, then left to train community leaders. She is modern in her tastes but likes to watch reruns of The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Brady Bunch.
In this carefully reported biography, drawing upon interviews with more than one hundred people, including one with Michelle herself, Mundy captures the complexity of this remarkable woman and the remarkable life she has lived.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Politics, Womens, Presidents, Adult

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Liza Mundy is an award-winning journalist and the New York Times bestselling author of five books, including CODE GIRLS, and her latest, THE SISTERHOOD.

Published in 2017, CODE GIRLS tells the story of more than 10,000 female code breakers recruited during World War II to perform work that saved countless lives, shortened a global war, and pioneered the modern computer and cybersecurity industries.

Available October 2023, THE SISTERHOOD is a gripping history of women in the CIA across three generations--beginning with unlikely female spies who served in the war and its aftermath, through to the women who tracked down Osama Bin Laden.

Her other titles include MICHELLE: A BIOGRAPHY; THE RICHER SEX; and EVERYTHING CONCEIVABLE.

In addition to her work as a narrative non-fiction author, Liza, a former staff writer for The Washington Post, writes about history, culture, and politics for publications such as The Atlantic and Politico.

At various points in her life as a working parent she has worked full-time, part-time, all-night, at home, in the office, remotely, in person, on trains, in the car, alone, in crowds, under duress, and while simultaneously making dinner.

Reviews

[Mythili · Rating 2 out of 5]

Early in this biography of Michelle Obama by Washington Post reporter Liza Mundy, the author confesses a significant impediment to her project: "the campaign declined access to [Michelle] and discouraged those who know the Obamas from talking." And yet Mundy was undeterred: "Fortunately, enough of those who knew her were willing to be interviewed that it was possible to write what is, I hope, a full and satisfying portrait," she explains. Though Michelle: A Biography is in fact neither full nor satisfying, it is nonetheless a valuable overview of the life of the woman married to the President-elect – a man whose sudden political rise in recent years has been nothing short of monumental (as Mundy puts it, "It was more than a political rise; it was a political levitation. A political teleportation.") With this rise, his wife has found herself the sudden object of media scrutiny and a player on the political arena. The detailed research of this book provide a broad view of Michelle Obama's personal background and a play-by-play recap of major ups and downs on the campaign trail. Although Mundy's is never able to translate these facts into a clearly-organized argument on Michelle's significance – present or future – as a national figure, this biography does well to identify her as a formidable woman in her own right.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I liked it because it gave me a realistic perspective on their marriage. I'm trying not to idealize Barack Obama too much because that would be dangerous. And I like Michelle Obama a lot after reading this book. That said, I picked up this book because I had read an article about Michelle and Barack Obama and their early courtship in the Washington Post by the author, and I found this book to be pretty flimsy except for that part...which I'd already read. So, I think the author would be able to write a better book but this was hastily written, put together much too quickly. I didn't feel like I had enough insight of Michelle Obama especially during her childhood, who her friends were, what she liked to do, and I think that's because the author didn't have the kind of access she needed in order to write this book. There was also one part of the book I didn't agree with, and it was something about what Michelle said on the campaign trail and the author's criticism of that. I almost felt like the author had written that because she didn't want to seem like this was a gushy biography...but isn't that what this is? Isn't that what people want to read? I do anyway.

[D Dyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted more than this book was able to offer. It felt both flimsily written and light on insights on Michelle Obama, especially considering the existence of a memoir written by the woman herself, admittedly years after this book was published. I picked up this book after having read that one hoping for a new insight on Michelle but unfortunately didn’t find it here. The Author was unable to interview Obama for the production of this book and it definitely shows.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning more about Michelle Obama in this book. By all accounts, she's intelligent, motivated, and usually quite grounded. Because the Obama campaign denied the author access to Michelle Obama for interviews for this book, however, the stories and insights about her come from other people in Obama's history--teachers, classmates, her brother, co-workers, TV and print reporters, and campaign staffers, plus numerous speeches of Michelle's (and one previous interview between the author and Obama, unrelated to this book). After reading this book for a while, I felt like I was learning about Michelle Obama all secondhand, and I missed the meatiness of a story that would have had Michelle Obama's blessing and cooperation. I hope (and expect) that sort of book will come later.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Michelle Obama, die neue First Lady der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, wird bald eine der einflussreichsten Frauen der Welt sein. Aber wer ist diese Frau, über die Barack Obama sagt she's the boss? Woher kommt sie? Wofür steht sie? Die Journalistin Liza Mundy sprach mit zahlreichen Freunden, Weggefährten und Familienmitgliedern der Obamas und mit Michelle und Barack Obama selbst. Sorgfältig recherchiert zeichnet sie das Portrait einer der bemerkenswerten Frauen unserer Zeit. Die erste Biographie der neuen amerikanischen First Lady in deutscher Sprache.

Dieses Buch habe ich mir ausgesucht für die ABC Challenge Aufgabe "Ein politisches Buch oder Buch von einem Politiker". Dies ist ein von mir wenig geliebtes Genre, weswegen ich froh war, ein Buch zu einer so sympathischen Person zu finden.  Dieses Buch erfüllt die Aufgabe 'politisch' voll und ganz, geht es im ersten Drittel überwiegend um ihre Kindheit mit einem politisch aktiven Vater und weiter um Baracks politische Ambitionen den sie als jungen Mann in einer Kanzlei kennenlernt in der sie beide arbeiten. Leider machte mir das Lesen dadurch nicht mehr Spaß. Wie gesagt, nicht mein Lieblingsgenre. Auch dass der Fokus immer wieder auf die Rassenfrage zurück kam fand ich mit der Zeit lästig.  Mich hätte mehr über den Menschen Michelle Obama interessiert.  

[Rama · Rating 2 out of 5]

مع الأسف وقت اخترت أقرأ عن ميشال أوباما كان بهمني أعرف اكتر عنها كأنسان الكتاب مع الأسف بيشرح اكتر من قضية منن العنصرية ضد السود بأمريكا وكمان انتخابات الرئيس اوباما بالمجلس التشريعي وبالكتاب بالماد انيمر شي عن حياة ميشل أوباما تمنيت اعرف تفاصيل اكر شغلات خاصة كسف تربت كيف عاشت بس الكتاب كان موضوع تاني بنصح بتغغير موضوع الكتاب لشي تاني بس اكيد المحتوى ابداما بيدل على عنوانه

[S'hi · Rating 4 out of 5]

When have we had such a clear picture of the First Lady – even before she became the First Lady? This is a remarkable tale for the clarity it displays about the role of the spouse in the presidential race. But what it does in a sense too, is make us question whether we have not somehow done ourselves a great disservice all these years by only electing one person to a role which obviously requires the input and support of a team.
Everyone is in a paid position except for the spouse, and yet the spouse has to carry the burden in a very specific and unique way which in effect allows so much else to happen for a human being to still become president through the gruelling process expected of them in politics.

But before all this awareness and consideration of what might come next we have the sense within Michelle herself that there was always something more for her to be able to achieve – something worthy of her effort and rewarding for the challenge as well as the accomplishment. Even if she hadn’t have been top at many of the things she has embraced, there is a sense that the striving itself was worthwhile. That only by embracing the world before you in all its possibilities can you truly work out which pathway is the one most suited to your particular skills and interests and convictions.

These things don’t come easily. We don’t just inherit what our parents have given us. We have to claim each and every thing they give us by making it our own, just as we have to move beyond our parents and find what else out there may have a unique contribution to our development as we do to it by taking it on.

The one thing you can be sure of with Michelle Obama is that she takes nothing for granted. And by this example she shows us we shouldn’t either.

As a non-American I found Liza Mundy’s representation of both the education system and the political process illuminating and easy to follow. The sense of neighbourhood and the relationships between people where they actually live, rather than the distorted images we overseas folk glean from television, was also well presented and very human, even with the interspersed quotes from newspapers and other media Even the personal touch of having attended the same university as Michelle gave perspective and scope where a narrowing could otherwise have happened.

A commendable effort, and a might good read.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always take biographies (and autobiographies) with a grain of salt, not knowing how accurate they are, but wanted to learn more about Michelle Obama than I heard during the campaign. The author seemed to strive for a fair portrayal, being neither too fawning or too critical. The book starts off rather slowly, Michelle's childhood not being overly interesting (who's is?). The dynamic of her marriage and the deals they struck to accomodate his political career are intriguing. She is obviously a complex person and they make a compelling team. Glad I read it just to have more information about her.

[Darius v, Bryant Sr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great! "

[Philly Aesthete · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a richly detailed chronicle of Mrs. Obama's life, this ain't that book. This Mundy book mostly "broadstrokes" its way through Michelle's life with more focused attention paid to watershed moments. The section on Michelle Robinson’s childhood years uses the bulk of its space delineating the socio-political and racial changes of the city of Chicago where her family has deep roots. We learn a great deal about Michelle's father's(Fraser Robinson) work with the powerful and deeply racist political machine in the 1960's-1980's Chicago and about how his political activism helped to improve the family's economic conditions. The Robinsons became solidly middle class in a city that made sure to keep its negroes in their proper place at the lower end of the socio-economic strata. Fraser Robinson looms large in this book and that fact makes sense because both Michelle and her brother Craig cite their father as an enduring influence on their views of politics, of community building and about the importance of educational advancement. Based upon the picture drawn in this book, Michelle Obama is very much her father's child. The text quickly traverses the years of Michelle adapting to the mostly white Princeton after having gone to a truly racially integrated high school; Michelle at Harvard Law school; Michelle's first job in a corporate firm where she met Barack. Mundy doesn't "over-spin" the Barack and Michelle love story here. Friends, law colleagues and family do offer their recollections of the Obamas meeting and falling in love, but Mundy balances those portraits with a very clear picture of how much of a pragmatist and a bit of a traditionalist Michelle has always been. Michelle expected Barack to make a good living to support his growing family. She wanted him to work in the private sector (in business or law) or take a teaching position. In the early days, Michelle actually abhorred the thought of Barack choosing politics as a career. Watching her farther precariously negotiate the vagaries of political life as a Black man in a very racially stratified Chicago left Michelle with the impression that politics was dirty, dirty business and to be avoided, if possible. While both she and Barack were on the same page about the importance of community building and making things better for the average Joe, Michelle did not want Barack to run for the state legislature, nor was she too keen on his Senate run. Michelle didn’t believe that real change could come from within the political machine, but from individuals and forces pushing from the outside inward. According to Mundy, there was quite a lot of tension in the Obama household about him being a mostly absent father due to his political aspirations and responsibilities and the extra burden that his absence put on Michelle. Michelle was not keen on the idea of the family constantly being debt as they were until Barack was contracted to write his biographies. The Obamas had just finished paying off their law school student loans just shy of 2 years before he was elected President. Mundy lays bare an interesting portrait of a very practical minded wife, mother and driven career woman who was getting impatient with her husband's loftier aspirations. It was hard going for Barack to convince Michelle to get on board with his political ambitions. The last third of the text spends a good deal of time looking closely at Michelle’s speeches spanning from the early days of Barack’s primary stumping through the campaign after he’d become the democratic nominee. This is the section of the book that is most compelling and that I, as a reader, most appreciate. Through Mrs. Obama’s speeches, in particular, the reader can track her inward transformation from being warily supportive but still a bit skeptical of her husband’s political aspirations to someone who grew to believe the “yes, we can!” message whole heartedly on personal and political levels. This section of the book also culls together, contextualizes and assesses all of the distasteful race-baiting, vilification of black womanhood and anti-patriot charges in the TV, blog and print media coverage of Michelle as a potential First Lady. Mundy juxtaposes all of that with discussion of the prevailing feeling among black folks and black women, in particular, that posits Michelle Obama as a shining symbol of a different kind of Black femaleness than those distortions and stereotypes we usually see in the press and in pop culture. This book isn’t exhaustive or perfect by any means, but it seeks to do a fairly balanced job of etching out ONE portrait of Mrs. Obama (one of many, I hope). I was enriched by reading it.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book just isn't that great. It's very short...extremely short. It's right around 200 pages. It almost seems like the author just wanted to make a quick buck to get this book out before the election. It wasn't detailed at all. Her childhood in the book was more about the history of Chicago and race relations. I would have enjoyed more stories about Craig, her brother, and Michelle growing up with a "middle class" family in the South Side of Chicago. The pages on her college years at Princeton were thin. Mostly discussing her thinking on her future instead of what she learned and how she changed there. In the book after she met Barack Obama, it was like the book changed to more of a book looking at him instead of Michelle. I felt the book almost became mean spirited about Michelle and how she treats Barack. If someone hasn't heard Michelle Obama speak about her past then this is a good quick book to get a taste of where she's from and who she is, but if you are looking for an in-depth study or biography about her then you aren't going to get it. Wait for this one on the bargain tables.

[Marianne (Mazziebee) · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Prologue, the author states that while Barack - biracial, raised in Hawaii by white grandparents- is post-racial, Michelle is not, she had a more typical African American upbringing; so while some people think it will be amazing to have Barack in the White House, the more noteworthy thing would be to have Michelle in the White House. This idea is central to this biography.

The book was written and published before the election. It is less of a biography which describes the life/relationships of the subject, but instead focuses on the environments (and to some extent the people in the environments) that shaped Michelle and explain who she is. This book does not satisfy that voyeuristic urge that a reader may have when choosing a biography. That being said, I found the author's examination interesting but somewhat limited by the fact that the Obamas did not contribute interviews to this book. It felt speculative. I would love to read a book that comes out AFTER the next election, when they are willing to share more and comment openly about the topics of race and racism.

[Glenda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought reading Michelle by Liza Mundy would give me better insight into the life of our First Lady, Michelle Obama, but I was wrong. This book highlights parts of Michelle's life, which includes brief moments of her life at Princeton, her work, how she met the President and her views on race relations. It does not go indepth about her child hood and her relationship with her brother, Craig. I felt like I was reading commentary most of the time. It is obvious that Ms. Mundy does not know Michelle Obama. I have to wonder if she has ever met her.

I was disappointed. I'm sure there will be a better biography published in the future. This one is definitely not at the top of the list. I recommend buying this book used or when it is added to a bargain category.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I like Michelle Obama. I like the author, Liza Mundy. But this story was, dare I say, unremarkable? It's the story of someone around my age who had some advantages, was successful in her career and had to make some hard choices involving her family and her husband's success. The best part of the book was the part where Michelle finally realizes that her husband is not going to slow down his career to be an involved parent, and instead of being angry, she decides to create a support system so that she does not shoulder all the household burdens herself. I thought that was inspired, a move that saved her marriage and her sanity. This book also made me appreciate how hard political campaigns are on spouses.

[Daria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got about 25 pages in and I'm done. I was looking for the STORY of Michelle Obama's life and all I got was the history of the Chicago political system. I flipped ahead and it didn't look like it was going to be any different further in, so on to something new.

[Shone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into each life a little rain must fall. This biography was a wonderful look at the life of 1st Lady Michelle . What we see is the end results of great parents, studying hard and determinatiion.

[Coyney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just did not enjoy this book at all

[Laura Cobrinik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, Liza Mundy writes an enthralling biography, this is of Michelle Obama. (Although I read it after President and Michelle Obama left office), it was such a relief of "normalcy" than what we are going through now.
Mundy shows us that Michelle Richardson Obama was the "Rock" of her maiden family and also it the "Rock" which allowed her husband to such a Human Being...We watch how Michelle excels at school, how she transferred from a "just okay" school on Chicago's South Side, then for High School we see how she travelled to a "Private" mixed school where she came out on the "Top" of her class, how she struggled but kept with it at Princeton University--and then how she went on from Princeton to Yale University for her law degree and ultimately found her husband, who eventually became President Barak Obama.
As an adult Mundy lets us see what a caring mother Michelle was for Malia and Sasha, and how she first found politics and Barak in the lime-light...but we see that without Michelle, that President Obama would not have been the thoughtful, and caring Person, President, and Father that he had been during his presidency and even now...In addition to Mundy, we see from current events as Barak still is photographed and is on the computer tearfully happy and sad when Malia Graduated High School and then when he saw her start college at Harvard. On resent internet websites we now see that same former President "teary eyed" as he witnesses his younger daughter, Sasha having an 18th Birthday, and on her way to college soon. From reading Mundy's book, we see that without Michelle, that President Obama may not have had his special father-daughter relationships that he's had with Sasha and Malia.
As Mundy also shows us, Michelle gave Barak chores that many women don't work so hard to make sure that her husband shared the housework and made the bed...I'm looking forward to reading another biography by Liza Mundy...
Laura Cobrinik

[Donia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I voted for Barack Obama and I admired him both as a President and a person. What I knew about Michelle was mostly through her better nutrition for school kids program so I picked up this book hoping for better insight into this glamours couple. Sadly I didn't find it. The entire book struck me as having been heavily sanitized. I wanted passion and didn't find it.

The author Mundy uses the first person as though Michelle is speaking or writing but remember, the author was NOT allowed access to Michelle so it really isn't Michelle talking. It is Liza's perception of Michelle's experience.

With all the negatives tossed at the first black couple, there certainly must have been fireworks behind closed doors but you won't get it in this book. Barack and Michelle must have been very upset by Trump's disgusting birther rant of Barack but you would never know it from reading this bio. Trump is hardly mentioned yet it certainly was a large part of their experience. Basically when I picked up this book I thought I would learn what Michelle and Barack really thought about the way they were treated and I never got that.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely gave me new insight into Michelle Obama. It starts from her childhood, goes into her time in high school, college, law school, early career(s) and then into her life as an aspiring politician's life. The book talks about her life up until the presidential run, and does not cover her time in the White House. It is definitely a good read if you want to learn about how race and social class affects Michelle's views, as she seems to struggle at times between straddling the lower and upper classes throughout her education and work experiences. The most you get of Michelle's perspective is through her speeches and friends/colleagues/classmates. However, I wish there could have been more in-depth investigations coming from Michelle herself.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finishing this book, it still feels like you're missing something. The biography describes Michelle through a wide variety of peoples' eyes, but lacks a substantial interview with her needed to provide an introspective and personal insight to who she knows she is. It compiles others' thoughts, criticisms, and praises of her to paint a vague, blurry picture of who Michelle was growing up, as a young professional, and as a potential first lady.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It did say that the author couldn’t talk to Michelle directly and it is missing that element to give it a five, but instead it offers a look at the times she grew up in. It takes us alongside her through a journey of what her neighborhood was like and the opportunities she had that helped shape who she became. It isn’t an Intimate biography, but is still was an interesting read.

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this. A good basic story of her early life up to Barack's decision to run for president. I was a little disappointed that it stopped where it did. I would liked to have followed her into the White House and her adjustments to being First Lady. That being said, it was a competent view of her life up to that point.

[Monica Minneman-Ioset · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an unauthorized biography by someone who did interview Michelle at an earlier time. Lots of documented comments from people who knew Michelle, plus quotes from her speeches and university theses. Includes a handful of photos. Paints a positive picture, with mentions of "kerfuffles". Ends at 2008.

[Debbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although well written, I found the amount of content from other sources overwhelming. I would have preferred to follow Michelle's life personally, not politically. And although I know she is married to one of the (former) most powerful men in pur nation, it had too much time devoted to his rise as President.

[Tea Drmac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odlicna, inspirativna, vrlo interesantna knjiga. Svakako ju preporucujem. Michelle Obama je dokaz da mozete uspjeti uz trud i rad, neovisno iz koje obitelji dolazite. Ona je dokaz da ne morate biti priviligirani da bi stee uspjeli.

[Carol Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and balanced story of Michelle from birth to the election of her husband to the presidency of the United States. I'm now looking forward to reading Michelle's autobiography to see how close Ms. Mundy's description is to how Michelle sees herself.

[Joyce Eggebeen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I own this biography of Michelle Obama--about her life prior to being first lady. I hope that there will be one about her White House years available sometime. I like to read biographies before I read autobiographies!

[Gail Johnson, Ph.D · Rating 4 out of 5]

From reading this book I get the impression that once Michelle met Barack, she found someone who would love her, and she love in return. The rest is icing on the cake. I could say more, but I want to read the other books by Michelle.

[Eileen Vernor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this autobiography! It really gives a holistic view of an amazing, humble woman. I highly recommend listening to it via Audible read by Michelle Obama.