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Michelle Obama: First Lady Of Hope
No silver spoons. Down-to-earth. Witty. Honest. One-of-a-kind.
There is no one quite like her, Michelle Obama. This is the first book to tell the astonishing story of a woman whose intellect, verbal flair, and poise are certain to make her one of the most influential First Ladies in history. A woman whose impassioned speech to the Democratic National Convention may have helped win her husband the Oval Office. A woman touted as a potential future presidential candidate herself.
Readers are given a revealing and intimate look at Michelle Obabma's remarkable life -- from her Chicago childhood to her education at Princeton and Harvard, how she first met Barack Obama at the prestigious law firm where they were the only African-Americans, to her role as his closest advisor, and to her own political beliefs. For Michelle, family comes first, and -- like so many women who struggle between family and career -- she seriously weighed her husband's presidential abitions before giving her stamp of approval. Apparently she struck a hard bargain. He had to give up smoking.
[We are] driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do -- that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack's journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope. That is why I love this country.
--Michelle Obama speaking to the Democratic National Convention
August 25, 2008
There is no one quite like her, Michelle Obama. This is the first book to tell the astonishing story of a woman whose intellect, verbal flair, and poise are certain to make her one of the most influential First Ladies in history. A woman whose impassioned speech to the Democratic National Convention may have helped win her husband the Oval Office. A woman touted as a potential future presidential candidate herself.
Readers are given a revealing and intimate look at Michelle Obabma's remarkable life -- from her Chicago childhood to her education at Princeton and Harvard, how she first met Barack Obama at the prestigious law firm where they were the only African-Americans, to her role as his closest advisor, and to her own political beliefs. For Michelle, family comes first, and -- like so many women who struggle between family and career -- she seriously weighed her husband's presidential abitions before giving her stamp of approval. Apparently she struck a hard bargain. He had to give up smoking.
[We are] driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do -- that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack's journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope. That is why I love this country.
--Michelle Obama speaking to the Democratic National Convention
August 25, 2008
210 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2008
15 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Lightfoot
9 books2 followersElizabeth Lightfoot is a freelance writer and editor who previously held jobs at The Associated Press as well as at weekly and daily newspapers in the northeast.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 15, 2010
Ever since now-President Obama burst onto the national political scene several years ago, I have been closely following his career. I can't recall exactly when I first saw his wife, Michelle, but right from the start, she impressed me as being a confident, eloquent, poised lady who was also a great wife, mother and career woman. When I saw Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope in the book section of our local grocery/department store chain, I thought it looked like a good book to read for me to gain more information and insights into the woman I had come to admire. Unfortunately, the book didn't turn out to be quite what I had expected, nor as good as I had hoped.
By her own admission, the author wrote the book rather hurriedly. Because her publisher was eager to release the book in e-book format in time for the peak of the presidential campaign season, they only allowed her a couple of months from start to finish to write it. Only a few more days were allowed after the election for editing to reflect those results, before the print version was released. In my opinion, there were places where the rush showed, particularly in the repetition. I have no problem with an author reiterating something for the sake of emphasis, but I seemed to keep seeing some of the same quotes and information over and over, not only between chapters, but sometime within the same chapter. Elizabeth Lightfoot has worked as a newspaper and magazine columnist, but from what I can tell, this was her first book. In my opinion, each chapter of the book read more like a newspaper or magazine article than a section from a biographical tome. The author also had a tendency to editorialize quite a bit, frequently inserting her own reflections and opinions which didn't particularly seem appropriate for a biography. These types of comments fit the preface quite well which brought back some fond memories of my own from the campaign season, some of which mirrored the author's experiences. However, placing personal asides into the narrative of the book, to my way of thinking, caused it to become something entirely different, a book that was part biography of Michelle Obama and part memoir of the author's experiences.
In all honesty, Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope seemed to be less about Michelle Obama and more about the campaign season in general. Granted the first few chapters focus mainly on Michelle and her background, but even during those sections, Ms. Lightfoot seemed to veer off onto rabbit trials discussing things that were somewhat related to Mrs. Obama (eg. the history of blacks at Princeton), but were not things that she had directly influenced. As the book progressed, the chapters seemed to be less and less about Michelle herself, and more about the presidential campaign. There were some of these chapters where I think Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and John and Cindy McCain received as many mentions as Mrs. Obama. The author does engage in some discourse on how Michelle Obama affected, and was affected by, the campaign, but there just wasn't enough about the woman herself to suit me. I did enjoy the chapter on motherhood and family life, probably because this is the area in which I relate to Michelle the most. On the flip side, the chapter on fashion wasn't quite my cup of tea. While I do think that Mrs. Obama always looks beautiful and well put together, I'm simply more interested in a person's personality than what they wear. The last 25 pages or so contain extensive bibliographical notes on the author's sources for the book, and a complete index.
Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a great one either. It didn't really give me the kind of insights into her character that I was hoping for, which is probably understandable given that the author was not able to interview Michelle personally. Most of the information that was shared were things that I already knew about Mrs. Obama. In fact, I think I've gotten a better feel for the woman herself through my own casual "research" and watching interviews with her. This book might be useful to anyone who knows little or nothing about Michelle Obama (or anyone who might have been living in a cave during the 2008 presidential campaign season ;-)), but those readers like myself, who have been following the Obamas closely for years, will probably not learn anything new here.
By her own admission, the author wrote the book rather hurriedly. Because her publisher was eager to release the book in e-book format in time for the peak of the presidential campaign season, they only allowed her a couple of months from start to finish to write it. Only a few more days were allowed after the election for editing to reflect those results, before the print version was released. In my opinion, there were places where the rush showed, particularly in the repetition. I have no problem with an author reiterating something for the sake of emphasis, but I seemed to keep seeing some of the same quotes and information over and over, not only between chapters, but sometime within the same chapter. Elizabeth Lightfoot has worked as a newspaper and magazine columnist, but from what I can tell, this was her first book. In my opinion, each chapter of the book read more like a newspaper or magazine article than a section from a biographical tome. The author also had a tendency to editorialize quite a bit, frequently inserting her own reflections and opinions which didn't particularly seem appropriate for a biography. These types of comments fit the preface quite well which brought back some fond memories of my own from the campaign season, some of which mirrored the author's experiences. However, placing personal asides into the narrative of the book, to my way of thinking, caused it to become something entirely different, a book that was part biography of Michelle Obama and part memoir of the author's experiences.
In all honesty, Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope seemed to be less about Michelle Obama and more about the campaign season in general. Granted the first few chapters focus mainly on Michelle and her background, but even during those sections, Ms. Lightfoot seemed to veer off onto rabbit trials discussing things that were somewhat related to Mrs. Obama (eg. the history of blacks at Princeton), but were not things that she had directly influenced. As the book progressed, the chapters seemed to be less and less about Michelle herself, and more about the presidential campaign. There were some of these chapters where I think Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and John and Cindy McCain received as many mentions as Mrs. Obama. The author does engage in some discourse on how Michelle Obama affected, and was affected by, the campaign, but there just wasn't enough about the woman herself to suit me. I did enjoy the chapter on motherhood and family life, probably because this is the area in which I relate to Michelle the most. On the flip side, the chapter on fashion wasn't quite my cup of tea. While I do think that Mrs. Obama always looks beautiful and well put together, I'm simply more interested in a person's personality than what they wear. The last 25 pages or so contain extensive bibliographical notes on the author's sources for the book, and a complete index.
Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a great one either. It didn't really give me the kind of insights into her character that I was hoping for, which is probably understandable given that the author was not able to interview Michelle personally. Most of the information that was shared were things that I already knew about Mrs. Obama. In fact, I think I've gotten a better feel for the woman herself through my own casual "research" and watching interviews with her. This book might be useful to anyone who knows little or nothing about Michelle Obama (or anyone who might have been living in a cave during the 2008 presidential campaign season ;-)), but those readers like myself, who have been following the Obamas closely for years, will probably not learn anything new here.
January 3, 2009
This book wasn't bad. Although I enjoyed reading an overview of the election and the Obamas, I found it a little repetitive, and I think the author was trying a little too hard to find a connection between herself and Michelle Obama. The book failed for me when Lightfoot's personal experiences were brought into the story.
April 20, 2017
Uvijek dajem pet zvjezdica (kad smo već kod "ocjenjivanja" takve vrste) Michelle Obama (ne ObamI, kako se u ovom prijevodu njezino prezime stalno sklanja!). Ali ova knjiga je loša. Ne znam tko je Elizabeth Lightfoot, ali kad pišeš knjigu o nekome, onda ne ističeš stalno sebe i ne praviš usporedbe te osobe (koja je valjda po nečemu važna, kad si već dobila zadatak o njoj pisati!) sa samom sobom, non-stop. Naporno i bez veze. Ako želim saznati nešto više o sjajnoj, briljantnoj osobi poput Michelle Obama, ovakva knjiga mi to ne može dati.
Uz to, prijevod je katastrofalan. Gotovo doslovno "prevođenje" s engleskog, s puno grešaka, i stilskih i pravopisnih, kako god već.
Nadam se da će Michelle Obama jednom napisati autobiografiju, kako treba. Jer ionako sve što radi radi kako treba, izvrsno, pametno i zanimljivo. Tu knjigu ću onda sa zadovoljstvom pročitati.
Uz to, prijevod je katastrofalan. Gotovo doslovno "prevođenje" s engleskog, s puno grešaka, i stilskih i pravopisnih, kako god već.
Nadam se da će Michelle Obama jednom napisati autobiografiju, kako treba. Jer ionako sve što radi radi kako treba, izvrsno, pametno i zanimljivo. Tu knjigu ću onda sa zadovoljstvom pročitati.
January 21, 2009
This book read more like an extended magazine article.....but, because of the timing, I was very intrigued about some of the details of such an extraordinary woman's life. It was also interesting for me to mentally cross reference some of the events with "Dreams From My Father". It was a quick read for me, not a literary masterpiece, but the author did a commendable job considering the circumstances and deadlines she had to work with.
February 23, 2009
It was written really fast..and that was obvious, the author never even SPOKE with Michelle- I was looking for a more in depth personal history...but didn't get it...I'm sure there will be many more Michelle Obama books in the future!
January 25, 2013
Seems the author didn't have a clear approach in mind and used different approaches to tell the story. Often interjected her own experiences which detracted from the Obama story. Some useful information but I think there are better books on the Obamas out there.
July 9, 2015
A totally rushed book. Like other reviewers, I found it more like reading newspaper articles and quotes were repeated over and over again. It had moments where it spoke of Michelle Obama, but the campaign trail was the majority of the book which disappointed me.
January 20, 2019
I loved it
September 12, 2018
Enjoyed this book from the hospital trolley in Christchurch, New Zealand
September 24, 2012
First let me say I love First Lady! This review in no way reflects on her!
This book took me way to long to read. Honestly I didn't quite finish it all. It was not written in a manner that kept me wanting to read more and learn more. Yes it did have some interesting tidbits but as short as this book is there's no reason it should have taken me almost 3 wks only to stop reading. I was not excited about it. Most books keep my attention and excited about turning the page. After a while it felt like something I was being forced to read for a class so I just stopped. Hopefully I can find another book about First Lady that is better written to hold my attention. Any suggestions?
This book took me way to long to read. Honestly I didn't quite finish it all. It was not written in a manner that kept me wanting to read more and learn more. Yes it did have some interesting tidbits but as short as this book is there's no reason it should have taken me almost 3 wks only to stop reading. I was not excited about it. Most books keep my attention and excited about turning the page. After a while it felt like something I was being forced to read for a class so I just stopped. Hopefully I can find another book about First Lady that is better written to hold my attention. Any suggestions?
June 5, 2012
I felt like I really got to know Michelle. I liked how humbled the writer was by this woman and she showed it in her writing. This book is well written and I like how she talks about the experience about writing on Michelle. I look up to this writer and Michelle and believe it is truly about what happens when you develop yourself at being the best at whatever you do. I think the writer covered the issues around the Obama's road to the White House well.I liked how the writer spoke about her childhod. I look forward to reading more books about the Obama's.
June 30, 2009
I think the book was written very amateurously but I enjoyed reading about the First Lady. She's a remarkable woman that we can all look up to.
I think the author focused to much on trying to connect herself to Michelle Obama instead of focusing on Michelle. I also enjoyed reading clips from Barack's wonderful speeches.
I think the author focused to much on trying to connect herself to Michelle Obama instead of focusing on Michelle. I also enjoyed reading clips from Barack's wonderful speeches.
March 6, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is an amazing expose of our First Lady. The personal author tidbits added texture that shows how we can all be inspired by someone like Mrs Obama. It is time sensitive but in afterthought it serves as a prophetic message. I wish she could do a full biography and hope Michelle Obama would consider using this author. I think they are kindred spirits.
May 5, 2009
Wow. What an awful book! The writing was terrible.
May 27, 2009
A light-hearted insight to the first couple.
February 26, 2010
Problem of the book that it relied on news and analysis of compound and not to meet or accompany their worst season, which was discussing the color of her clothes
April 13, 2010
Interesting! Liked getting an idea of the childhood she had.
January 10, 2011
I love it. Michelle is so interesting. Her life is engaging to read about.
June 14, 2013
Besides a few minor details, I really enjoyed this book. I received so much insight into Michelle's life. My interest has been peaked to learn more about the lives of the first family.
July 27, 2020
Last week I saw this book at the second hand book store where I had gone for a certain title. The store didn't have what I wanted, but this one caught my eye. I am glad I did. Probably I wasn't interested when it was published in 2009 due to the fact that I have only Republican blood in my veins.
But this book held my attention for two reasons: the skill of the author and the fascinating woman she was describing. Lest any reader question the many people quoted in the book to paint an accurate picture of this remarkable one time "First Lady," it is documented with more than twenty five pages of references.
Republican or Democrat, this book will leave you with an appreciation of this remarkable woman.
Hope Irvin Marston, author of THE WALLS HAVE EARS: A BLACK SPY IN THE CONFEDERATE WHITE HOUSE.
But this book held my attention for two reasons: the skill of the author and the fascinating woman she was describing. Lest any reader question the many people quoted in the book to paint an accurate picture of this remarkable one time "First Lady," it is documented with more than twenty five pages of references.
Republican or Democrat, this book will leave you with an appreciation of this remarkable woman.
Hope Irvin Marston, author of THE WALLS HAVE EARS: A BLACK SPY IN THE CONFEDERATE WHITE HOUSE.
April 3, 2020
Couldn’t get to the second chapter before I stopped. The writing is terrible and reads as a magazine article or essay. The author tries to make connections for the reader that fall flat - It’s a collection of quotes and testimony from interviews and stories from other news outlets or blogs compiled into one big mess.
April 3, 2020
I had a very hard time reading this book. Almost 2 years of trying to read one book is way too long. It just did not flow like I thought it would and it did not keep me interested. It just seemed like the author tried too hard with this one.
October 8, 2019
I felt the author was inserting herself too much into the book and I found it a bit distracting. I struggled to get into this book and had to force myself to finish it.
Want to read
December 24, 2008Looking forward to reading this during break.
March 31, 2009
Very easy to read and points out lots of the things I feel about Michelle Obama.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews