The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama

5 Stars Jan 24, 2023

My review

5/5 stars

I really enjoyed reading Becoming when it was released a couple of years ago. I was sure I was going to love this one as well, and I wasn't wrong.

I opted for the audiobook for Mrs Obama's second offering, and I'm glad I did. She reads the book herself and provides a confident and approachable narration style throughout. It really helped to infuse her personality and warmth as she read through her own words.

Those words are carefully selected and each one is meaningful. She always comes across as sophisticated, classy and highly educated, as it's evident that she doesn't use words for the sake of it - she says what she means and means what she says. This could be cold, but she has a strong maternal vibe that means they end up feeling like a warm hug instead.

There are some great takeaways for life, especially life as it is right now, to help get through the tougher times. It's evident that she's written this against the challenging background that we find ourselves in across the globe, and she's pitched her content perfectly.

The personal stories she's included help to demonstrate how she has applied her suggestions in her own life. They give a sense of realism and meaning to what would otherwise be just another self-help book.

A brilliant read - a clear insight into what matters most to her (family) and how she supports herself through tough times. It's inspiring, heartfelt and useful.

Book blurb

In The Light We Carry, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today's highly uncertain world.

She considers the questions many of us wrestle with: How do we build enduring and honest relationships? How can we discover strength and community inside our differences? What do we do when it all starts to feel like too much? Michelle Obama believes that we can all lean on a set of tools to help us better navigate change and remain steady within flux.

The Light We Carry offers listeners a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the habits and principles she has developed to successfully overcome various obstacles—the earned wisdom that helps her continue to "become".

With trademark humour, candour, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, encouraging listeners to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness. The Light We Carry will inspire listeners to examine their own lives, identify their sources of gladness, and connect meaningfully in a turbulent world.