Originally published in 2018, Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming was met with critical acclaim upon its release and has been one of the most popular books in recent memory. The book proved so popular that, over two years since its initial release, it is only now going into paperback print, along with a young readers edition on 2 March.
Becoming spent 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, was the number one book for Christmas 2018, and has sold over 700,000 copies in the UK alone. Enthusiasm for the former first lady’s memoir has shown no sign of slowing down and will likely only increase with these two new copies.
As The Bookseller reports, the young readers edition is aimed at children ages 10 and up and will feature a special introduction b Obama, as well as three full-colour photographic inserts. This copy is set to be published in hardcover by Puffin, and retail for £14.99.
The paperback edition will also feature a new as well as a letter from Obama to her younger self. Those of you who are part of a book club will be pleased to learn it also includes a book club guide with 20 discussion questions and a five-question Q&A. This edition will be released alongside the young readers version and will retail for £12.99.
“With the Younger Readers edition of Becoming, Michelle Obama tells her full story for a new generation with the honesty and candour that is her trademark. In sharing her joys and triumphs alongside the bumps, bruises, and challenges she has encountered along the way, Mrs. Obama invites readers to realise that no one is perfect, and that the process of becoming is what matters, as finding yourself is ever-evolving. In telling her own story with boldness, she asks young readers: Who are you, and what do you want to become?” said the publisher.
In the introduction to the young readers edition, Obama writes: “Growing up on the South Side of Chicago in the 1960s and ’70s, my parents, Fraser and Marian Robinson, always kept it straight with me and my brother, Craig. They never sugarcoated hard truths or presented their reality as anything other than what it was—because they knew we could handle it. I want to give you all that same respect.
“So my promise to you is to give you my story in all its messy glory—from the time I struggled in front of my kindergarten class, to my first kiss and the insecurities I felt growing up, to the chaos of a campaign trail, to the strange experience of shaking hands with the Queen of England. I hope that as you’re reading my story, you’ll also think about your own—because it’s the most beautiful gift you’ll ever have.”
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