Customer Reviews

Michelle Obama: The First Lady in Photographs

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As much as I'm still cringing about a major bookstore closing many of its store locations (including one I used to work at), I was beyond happy about the book deals. I saw this book for $10, and it was the last one on the display case. My mother and I both wanted it, and I eventually gave it up and decided to buy one online. Although a $10 deal on a full color book is always going to trump paying full price, this book is worth every penny no matter the cost. Some photos are ones you may have seen plastered on the front of magazines and newspapers, but there were plenty more that I'd never laid eyes on and I had a great time looking at them. Two of my favorites are page 138 with President Barack H. Obama looking at First Lady Michelle Obama like it's his first time seeing her and then another one on page 68 with her wearing a very pretty shirt that I'd never try to get away with wearing. I think she's a beautiful woman (inside and out) from what I can grasp of her during interviews. My mother told me when she brought this book home, my father keeps picking it up from their dining room table and looking at it, walking away, and then coming back to look at it again. That's how much power the woman has. As much as sisterhood comes into play, even men are in awe of her.

My only cons are that I wasn't thrilled with the essay written by Emily Bernard. I got where she was going with it--wanting the First Lady to be like the everyday woman, but I thought too much attention was called to a tabloid interview about her "Secret Hit List," when the tabloid wasn't worth mentioning in the first place. I've never been amused at the stories of her making fun of the president. I get that wives do it, but that's the only part about her character that makes me think, "You could've kept that to yourself. He doesn't make fun of you to the public. Don't do it to him." Then there was a comment from Bernard stating that, "Obama in herself, in fact, is fairly boring." Nothing about the First Lady is "boring." No, she's not acting like a woman on one of these idiotic reality shows, but that doesn't make her "boring." Professional, focused, nurturing, loving, blunt, even slightly strict (with the no-television-on-weekdays rule) maybe, but "boring" wasn't an accurate word to use. She even brought up that goofy New Yorer comic pic and the "ghetto girl" comment from a Martha's Vineyard attendee. Why do we keep getting reminders of stuff that should be ignored? Deborah Willis also mentioned the New York Times, but she was talking about an article with Rachel L. Swarns that complimented the First Lady instead of reminding us of stuff that deserves a heavy eye roll.

But to be honest, I wonder how many people will spend more time looking at the photos and captions and less on the beginning and ending essays? Either way, this book is worth the money. I highly recommend it.