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Becoming Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Michelle Obama (Author, Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 196,934 ratings
Editors' pick Best Biographies & Memoirs
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An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former first lady of the United States.

Number one New York Times best seller

Watch the Emmy-nominated Netflix original documentary

Oprah’s Book Club Pick

NAACP Image Award Winner

One of Essence’s 50 most impactful Black books of the past 50 years

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As first lady of the United States of America - the first African American to serve in that role - she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the US and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites listeners into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her - from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work to her time spent at the world's most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it - in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations - and whose story inspires us to do the same.

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  1. Listening Length
    19 hours and 3 minutes
  2. Author
    Michelle Obama
  3. Narrator
    Michelle Obama
  4. Audible release date
    November 13, 2018
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07B3JQZCL
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 19 hours and 3 minutes
Author Michelle Obama
Narrator Michelle Obama
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date November 13, 2018
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07B3JQZCL
Best Sellers Rank #549 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#3 in Biographies of Politicians
#6 in Political Leader Biographies
#9 in Biographies of Women

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
196,934 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book great, captivating, and breathtaking. They also find the content insightful, encouraging, and informative. Readers describe the writing quality as beautiful, engaging, and down-to-earth. They describe the story as fantastic, riveting, and profoundly moving. They appreciate the honesty and candidness of the book. Additionally, they describe the author as admirable, intelligent, and incredibly intelligent.

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ReadabilityInspirational contentWriting qualityStory qualityHonestyWomanEnjoymentValue for money
6,613 customers mention "Readability"6,541 positive72 negative

Customers find the book great, captivating, and enlightening. They say it's well-presented and reveals integrity and beauty.

"...It was a beautiful photo wherein the first family were donning winter coats, their faces lit up with hopeful smiles. Could it happen?..." Read more

"...Becoming" is a bittersweet read, but excellent nonetheless. After finishing it (I even read the acknowledgments!)..." Read more

"...’s being deservedly recognized as brilliant, capable, formidable and fantastic in her own right, and celebrated and well-received not just in America..." Read more

"...Becoming" is an eminently readable book by a wholly admirable woman...." Read more

3,585 customers mention "Inspirational content"3,585 positive0 negative

Customers find the content insightful, encouraging, and informative. They say it's one of the most fascinating and informative books they have read this year. Readers also mention the author is intelligent, unapologetic, and in-the-know.

"...Michelle’s writing is so descriptive and intimate that you feel like you’re sitting across from her while she flawlessly reveals her life story...." Read more

"...was in the realization that Michelle Obama unfiltered is just as inspiring, hopeful, and dignified as the Michelle Obama who'd been constrained by..." Read more

"...She’s self-possessed, clear-eyed, genuine, insightful, sincere, compelling, wise, principled, fun, whip-smart, unpretentious, disciplined, fearless,..." Read more

"...from that circumstance as she did--an enormously self-confident, accomplished, and compassionate human being...." Read more

2,464 customers mention "Writing quality"2,352 positive112 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book beautiful, engaging, and fresh. They appreciate the candid, plain speaking that is relatable and down-to-earth. Readers also mention the details are richly woven into the story. Additionally, they say the title is well illustrated and the thoughtful structure makes it an easy yet powerful read.

"...Being waited on hand and foot, living in opulence...." Read more

"...educated woman who is at once fun yet serious, down to earth, utterly unassuming, completely self-assured, unaffected and comfortable in her own skin..." Read more

"...Michelle Obama is a well spoken, eloquent and intelligent woman - this is clear just by hearing her speak briefly, but I did not realize just HOW..." Read more

"...I learned quite a bit about POTUS. What a well-written, first-class memoir!..." Read more

1,814 customers mention "Story quality"1,793 positive21 negative

Customers find the story fantastic, intensely personal, relatable, and inspiring. They describe the book as compelling, riveting, and profoundly moving. Readers also mention the narratives include deeply moving passages about tragedies.

"...starting with the preface, pulled me right in, capturing my imagination with her eloquent narrative...." Read more

"...I am glad that this wonderful memoir, her first documentation of her life story, begins the introduction for so many, into understanding the true..." Read more

"...the grand canopy of world history, it remains an intensely personal account of a remarkable journey--a journey that starts in modest origins and ends..." Read more

"...I learned quite a bit about POTUS. What a well-written, first-class memoir!..." Read more

1,723 customers mention "Honesty"1,717 positive6 negative

Customers find the book unparralled, honest, and deeply personal. They say it's refreshing, fascinating, and humbling. Readers also mention the book is candid, thoughtful, and touching.

"...that Michelle Obama unfiltered is just as inspiring, hopeful, and dignified as the Michelle Obama who'd been constrained by the office of 1st Lady..." Read more

"...She’s self-possessed, clear-eyed, genuine, insightful, sincere, compelling, wise, principled, fun, whip-smart, unpretentious, disciplined, fearless,..." Read more

"...presumptuous; nor by her last alone, which would feel cold--is unsparingly honest and deeply personal in exploring both these fundamental aspects of..." Read more

"...PurchasedThe cover is perfect with its large, captivating close-up of the former First Lady, Michelle Obama, who is the author and..." Read more

1,038 customers mention "Woman"1,038 positive0 negative

Customers find the woman admirable, inspiring, and intelligent. They appreciate the perspective on her professional accomplishments. Readers also describe the narrative as genuine and courageous.

"...various initiatives as an executive and as First Lady, capture her effortless greatness, her depth of character, palpable humanity, undeniable grace..." Read more

"...Becoming" is an eminently readable book by a wholly admirable woman...." Read more

"...Michelle is an amazing person and an inspirational woman. I found the book very easy to read and well written...." Read more

"...Mrs. Obama is an incredibly intelligent woman, and on top of that, she is a lawyer with an Ivy League education...." Read more

864 customers mention "Enjoyment"853 positive11 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, engaging, and honest. They say it's interesting to read about life on the campaign trail and in the White House. Readers also mention the prose is lyrical at times and the masterful use of language and themes makes the book feel almost like a fictional story.

"...Michelle’s writing is so descriptive and intimate that you feel like you’re sitting across from her while she flawlessly reveals her life story...." Read more

"...find it in this excellent and well-done memoir of a brilliant, wise, witty, principled, disciplined, percipient, upstanding, unassuming, fun, serious..." Read more

"...Michelle Obama is a well spoken, eloquent and intelligent woman - this is clear just by hearing her speak briefly, but I did not realize just HOW..." Read more

"...your political position, this woman’s story is fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable...." Read more

370 customers mention "Value for money"370 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth the purchase and time. They say it's well-deserved and a valuable addition to their collection.

"...won’t find it in this excellent and well-done memoir of a brilliant, wise, witty, principled, disciplined, percipient, upstanding, unassuming, fun,..." Read more

"Purchased for myself and a friend - very reasonably priced and a great read." Read more

"...But Becoming is lively. Michelle Obama is brilliant, wise, educated, a talented writer, and her book is indeed a treasure—as is she." Read more

"...To read such a story is well worth the price of the book to say the least...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

Alretha Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars BECOMING will inspire you to BECOME a better person
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
I remember the first time I even remotely let myself believe that Barack and Michelle Obama could take residence in the White House. It was when I saw a photo of them flanked by Malia and Sasha in Ebony magazine. It was a beautiful photo wherein the first family were donning winter coats, their faces lit up with hopeful smiles. Could it happen? Would it happen? Do I dare let myself believe the unthinkable? I recollected being a child and seeing the walls plastered with the presidents of the United States—all white men. Who was this black man who had the audacity to believe he could become the leader of the most powerful nation in the world? Moreover, who was that beautiful black woman standing at his side and how did she get there? I, like many others, had never heard of Barack or Michelle. It seemed like a dream, like they had appeared out of nowhere. Who are these people?

Well, it’s been a decade since I came across that photo in Ebony Magazine and that unfamiliar family as we all know became the first black First Family. Over the years I’ve learned a lot about these people, but it wasn’t until I read Michelle’s memoir BECOMING that I came to truly appreciate this family and all they’ve sacrificed to reach the heights that they have. Michelle, starting with the preface, pulled me right in, capturing my imagination with her eloquent narrative. When I came to the paragraph in the preface where she said she had heard about the swampy parts of the internet that questioned everything about her, right down to whether she’s a woman or a man, I knew this memoir was going to not just be a read, but an experience. I knew in that moment that Michelle had poured her heart and soul into this book and after reading all 429 pages I was right.

BECOMING is a breathtaking, world wind, masterpiece. Michelle takes us back to the South Side of Chicago where she was raised by her devoted parents and protected by her older brother Craig. Michelle wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she was surrounded with immediate and extended family who loved and nurtured her and who stressed the importance of getting an education and who exposed Michelle to arts and culture.

Michelle’s writing is so descriptive and intimate that you feel like you’re sitting across from her while she flawlessly reveals her life story. I laughed out loud and sobbed throughout the book. There are so many poignant and heartfelt moments. When Michelle described Craig’s teenage preventive phase which included him having their father lay on the floor so that he could practice hauling him out of the house in case there was a fire, I couldn’t help but laugh. No, if a fire were to have broken out, it wouldn’t have been a funny matter, but the way Michelle described the incredulous look on their father’s face, it provoked much laughter. Michelle’s father suffered with multiple sclerosis and it grew worst over time. She made me cry at her first recital when she became paralyzed at the sight of the perfect grand piano in front of her. She was used to playing on her Aunt Robbie’s upright with the broken keys. Aunt Robbie came to the rescue and placed Michelle’s finger on the middle C so that she could play.

Michelle keeps you turning the pages as she takes us from her early years into her high school years and on to college, a journey that is fraught with challenges and insecurities. “Am I good enough?” Yes, that was a constant refrain. Like many of us, Michelle had doubts, but she kept forging ahead, even when the counselor at Princeton told her that she didn’t think Michelle was Princeton material. Michelle proved that counselor wrong when she graduated from Princeton and joined a top Chicago law firm where she became Barack’s mentor.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their first encounter and subsequent courtship. It was comforting to read that Barack and Michelle weren’t the perfect couple I fantasized they were. And I applauded Michelle for revealing that they had gone to marital counseling where Michelle and Barack came to realize that it was not either of their responsibility to make the other person happy. I was also surprised to learn of their fertility challenges. The more I read, the more I realized that Michelle is so like many of us, with flaws, dreams, struggles and a whole lot of determination. I got so swept up in reading BECOMING I would read until the wee hours of the morning. Yes, it’s that good.

She gives a bird’s-eye view of life in the White House and what a view it is. Being waited on hand and foot, living in opulence. But she also writes about the downsides—living in a bubble, restricted movement, guarded, the dark side of politics and meanspirited politicians, trying to raise and protect her children. Whew! You have to have the nerves of steel to be a first lady and Michelle did it with grace and style. I also loved how she outlined all of Barack and her accomplishments during their time in the White House. I knew the obvious, like The Affordable Care Act and Michelle’s fight against childhood obesity, but they did so much more.

I can go on and on. So many memories and stories, woven together so well that it will inspire you to want to do more, to look outside of yourself, to want to make a difference, to want to make an impact on the world in a positive and tangible way. BECOMING should be required national reading.

Thank you, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama for being enough. For BECOMING!
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Tina E
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing memoir of an amazing woman
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2018
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Despite my waning eyesight and the horrific pain that is part and parcel of living with a terminal illness, I couldn't put this book down. For 2 straight days, every moment I was awake was spent with Michelle Obama's written voice, reminding me of better times when I'd dared to feel emotions such as hope. The Obamas have only been retired for 2 years, but it feels like 20 lifetimes have passed. If there is anything even quasi-positive that can be said of the current, hideous presidency, it's that trump has managed to make whatever time I've got left feel excruciatingly longer.

"Becoming" is a bittersweet read, but excellent nonetheless. After finishing it (I even read the acknowledgments!) I closed the book and cried for a bit, allowing myself to wonder for the first time how different my illness might have turned out if the GOP cared even 1/100th as much as the Obamas did and do about the wellbeing of ALL Americans. Put bluntly, had the Republicans not put an axe to Obamacare, I might have stood a chance. I might have lived long enough to welcome my first grandchild into the world or travel to all the places I've only dreamt of experiencing. At the very least, were it not for a vestige of slavery known as the electoral college I'd be able to afford medical care and medicinal relief from the all-consuming pain.

Beyond how the book personally affected me, there is so much to be learned from it. From little bits of trivia (I had no idea the 1st family has to pay for their own food and highly doubt the current occupants do) to the Obamas relationship with Queen Elizabeth II, "Becoming" was utterly absorbing. It was heartwarming and at times heart-wrenching to watch President Obama's ascent through his wife's loving eyes. You could tell how much it affected the 1st Lady to see her husband grieve over the death of his mother, a doting mom who--had she been able to hold on just a couple months more--would have seen her son elected to the US Senate. And then to watch the very same thing happen all over again to his grandmother directly prior to being elected President of the United States... lets just say you really feel for all affected parties when reading the story through Mrs. Obama's eyes.

What was especially refreshing was the candor with which the book was written. She didn't gloss over her personal imperfections in the hopes of coming across as saint-like nor did she whine about the unfairness of things Republicans and the media did to her even though it would be understandable if she had. (She's definitely a stronger woman than I am!) All in all, the beauty of the book was in the realization that Michelle Obama unfiltered is just as inspiring, hopeful, and dignified as the Michelle Obama who'd been constrained by the office of 1st Lady for 8 years.

It's impossible to finish this book without remembering how truly lucky we were as a nation to live under the loving, devoted leadership of a man wholly dedicated to serving our country with every fiber of his being. He gave 110% of himself even to those who'd made up their minds to despise him. I have to say it broke my heart reading about all the Obamas did with and for the military when that same military all too often talks of him like something they stepped in. O'Neill, for instance, the Seal who happened to fire the kill shot at bin laden, frequently disparages President Obama on Twitter. (He also makes sickening references to the way he killed 1 of bin laden's sons.) O'Neill looooves trump of course--a treasonist, KGB loving coward--but disparages the very man who gave that Seal his opportunity to go from an unknown soldier to a recognized somebody. Unfortunately, O'Neill is neither the 1st nor last seal I've heard discuss President Obama in a negative light. That newly elected congressman with the eyepatch who got into it with SNL recently said on "New Day" that seal morale is high under trump, but was low under Obama. I don't know what the hell is being taught to the seals, but the vast majority of the ones I've heard speak have been blatant racists. What has trump done for them other than be white? He doesn't visit combat zones, he disparages gold star families, and he couldn't be further up Putin's ass if he tried to be, but morale is high? Ooookay.

Despite 8 years of watching Michelle Obama be called everything from an ape to a "tranny" she still believes in going high when others go low. Pat Robertson was scandalized when she dared to wear sleeveless dresses, but claims melania trump's nude lesbian photos are "art." This alleged Christian man saw neither grace nor beauty in Michelle and her daughters, but insists that the KGB plant living in the white house (aka Svetlana "I Don't Really Care Do You?" trump) has both of those attributes. Umm... really?! The woman has had so much plastic surgery that she barely has eye sockets left. But melania is a white, racist, unapologetic birther so the "good" pastor apparently finds grace and beauty in her anyway. (Come to think of it, Pat Robertson is probably the seals' official spiritual advisor.)

I don't give a damn what the racists say; Michelle and her daughters are gorgeous inside and out. Their beauty isn't bought in stores or under a plastic surgeon's scalpel. Their toned physiques and radiant skin pay testament to lives lived healthy, happy, and well. Their regal features are striking in their elegance and beauty. And come on now, Michelle Obama's ever so slight overbite is downright adorable!

Michelle Obama remains my 1st Lady just as President Obama remains my president. I genuinely admire their ability to go high, but I don't think I'm capable of becoming that person again. Every day I grow a little weaker, every day the pain becomes a little less tolerable, and every night I go to sleep knowing the odds of waking back up become less favorable each time. This book took me back to a better time and place, to the person I'd been the whole of my life prior to 2016. I thank Mrs. Obama for that parting gift. I'll sleep tonight feeling more at peace.

*****UPDATE 9/24/19*****

I’m happy to say I’m still ticking (knock on wood!) After almost dying in the hospital, I was able to get an in-state waiver which—long story short—allowed me to receive Medicaid. Medicaid doesn’t pay for as much as one would hope so I still struggle to get the care & meds I need, but at least I have some level of care and some meds now. A big thank you to those of you who reached out to me with your uplifting words filled with genuine kindness :)
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daliamaia
5.0 out of 5 stars Biografia surpreendente e reveladora.
Reviewed in Brazil on August 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
Gosto de ler biografias e sempre tive curiosidade a respeito da vida de Michelle Obama. Ela fala de si mesma com simplicidade e não abandona suas origens. Também não se furta a expor sua percepção sobre as consequências da segregação racial nos EUA. Ainda assim, se mostra uma lutadora, dentro ou fora da Casa Branca; antes e depois da Casa Branca. Deixa claro que a luta por melhor educação e igualdade de direitos precisa continuar. Michelle Obama consegue deixar uma mensagem de otimismo ao mesmo tempo em que reconhece as dificuldades que o Governo Obama enfrentou por causa do preconceito racial. Esse livro é bem escrito e de agradável leitura. Certamente é um livro que pretendo ler novamente.
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Ashadedt
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro, mucho que aprender de una gran persona.
Reviewed in Mexico on December 26, 2021
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En mi opinión personal, se siente una sensación de bienestar leer las palabras de está gran mujer. La manera en que describe cada detalle, o relata sus retos y vivencias me ha permitido tratar de encontrar otro enfoque a los retos que enfrentamos día con día. Vale mucho la pena el libro
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sibil
5.0 out of 5 stars american dream
Reviewed in Italy on August 28, 2024
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è bello leggere che l'American Dream è ancora realizzabile. L'ho letto in inglese, è scritto molto facile anche per chi non è madrelingua
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Catalin Muntean
5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest of them all
Reviewed in France on March 4, 2024
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I was wanting to get this book for a while now and finally found it and bought it. Looking forward to read it has I admire her and her family, I consider that she was one of the most remarkable first lady with her intelligence and appearances she became a great leader standing next to her husband. A true inspiration for many people around the globe. Thank you for letting us see you.
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Catalin Muntean
5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest of them all
Reviewed in France on March 4, 2024
I was wanting to get this book for a while now and finally found it and bought it. Looking forward to read it has I admire her and her family, I consider that she was one of the most remarkable first lady with her intelligence and appearances she became a great leader standing next to her husband. A true inspiration for many people around the globe. Thank you for letting us see you.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars You have to read it to believe its power
Reviewed in Sweden on September 15, 2024
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It had to be on everyone's "Thr books I must read before I die" series... No other words could ever describe the impact it has, the values it exudes, and the thunder that it is ..... Read it...
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