Me Mi Mo Momma, Obama
By Margaret Hicks in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 21, 2006 5:09PM
A lot has been said about Barack Obama. Some believe he is the hope of the country, some think he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Since we just finished reading “The Audacity of Hope”, we thought we’d keep it simple and review not the man or his politics, but the book itself.
The book is divided into chapters titled “Values”, “Politics“, “Opportunities” or “Faith”. Each chapter is filled with anecdotes from his life at home, his life on the road and his early memories of family. Obama is a lyrical and precise writer, and a lover of words. When describing his mother, Obama writes “She loved to take children --any child -- and sit them in her lap and tickle them or play games with them or examine their hands, tracing out the miracle of bone and tendon and skin and delighting at the truths to be found there. “ We think that’s a pretty sentence.
Obama is funny too, describing one meal in Russia as “lunch of borscht, vodka, potato stew and a deeply troubling fish jello mold”. Or about learning to travel alone and being so disorganized about his personal care that at one point ”I realized I had forgotten to buy a shower curtain and had to scrunch up against the shower wall in order to avoid flooding the bathroom floor.” Not an image you’d expect a possible presidential candidate to conjure.
We also liked the moments when he describes his life at home. His wife, Michelle, comes off as a normal, hardworking, tough wife who holds her husband accountable when he does the wrong thing. Obama mentions how hard it is for Michelle when he is gone, the fights they have, and the compromises they make. When a reporter asked Michelle what it was like to be married to Obama she said “It’s hard’ Michelle had said. Then according to the reporter, she had added with a sly smile, ‘And that’s why Barack is such a grateful man.”
His politics are argued of course, there are defenses and offenses. He explains a few wayward votes and outlines some of his ideas. He is also very p.c. in his book as well, even using the female pronoun when discussing other senators. Manipulative? Maybe. Appreciated? Yes.
The most interesting parts of the book are his own memories and thoughts, his philosophies and the interesting way he sees his own family and life. We might be kissing butt here, but honestly. “The Audacity of Hope” is a beautiful read, an interesting biography, and a glimpse into a life no one could ever assume was perfect.