From the Back Cover
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 future presidential candidate herself.
Readers are given a revealing and intimate look at Michelle Obama’s remarkable lifefrom her Chicago childhood to her education at Princeton and Harvard, from how she first met Barack Obama at the prestigious law firm where they were the only African Americans, to her role as his closest adviser, and to her own political beliefs. For Michelle, family comes first, andlike so many women who struggle between family and careershe seriously weighed her husband’s presidential ambitions 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 dothat 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
About the Author
Elizabeth Lightfoot has worked as a newspaper and Associated Press reporter, columnist, and magazine writer. She holds a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard and a M.S. in journalism from Columbia. She lives in Connecticut.