STARRED REVIEW
March 2023

The Light We Carry

By Michelle Obama
Review by
Listening to The Light We Carry, narrated by author Michelle Obama, feels like a fulfillment of the classic "dream dinner guest" scenario.
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Michelle Obama will be the first to admit she is as fallible as anybody else, but she does have a lot of this life stuff figured out. The thoughtful way in which she presents her myriad experiences is what makes her second book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (10 hours), such a gift. She opens up about the lessons she learned about parenting from her mother’s difficult childhood, what to look for in a husband, how to make fair compromises that build an enduring marriage and the challenges and rewards that come from raising kids to be strong individuals. She shares the difficulty of being the “only,” whether you’re the only person of your background at your college or the only person of your race to ever be first lady. 

Listening to this audiobook, narrated by Obama, feels like a fulfillment of the classic “dream dinner guest” scenario. Obama is honest, forthcoming and wise, but also as familiar as a friend.

Read our starred review of the print edition.

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The Light We Carry

The Light We Carry

By Michelle Obama
Random House Audio
ISBN 9780593677889

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