Since I’m still having trouble reading, despite getting new bifocals, my hubby has generously stepped in and offered to read and review a book on my behalf. He rocks, right? I certainly think so!
“The Obamas” is a new book written by Jodi Kantor, the Washington correspondent for The New York Times. Ms. Kantor did extensive interviews for this book, interviewing President Obama’s inner circle and both Barack and Michelle Obama themselves. The book is an intimate study of the president and first lady, their adjustment to life inside the White House, and their trials and tribulations within the Washington establishment.
“The Obamas” treads mostly familiar ground, and there are no major bombshells disclosed by Ms. Kantor. Barack Obama is portrayed as a confident, sometimes arrogant introvert who is prone to bouts of self-pity during difficult times. Michelle is an outspoken perfectionist who demands high standards of both herself and those around her. Mrs. Obama got the majority of analysis by Ms. Kantor, who had a litany of niggling complaints against the first lady. Foremost among those are the first lady’s penchant for wearing expensive designer clothes and taking an ill-advised trip to Spain prior to the mid-term elections in 2010. My response was: who cares? Recession notwithstanding, I expect that the wife of the most powerful man on earth would wear nice clothes and take trips to exotic locales. Isn’t that one of the perks of living in the White House? A lot of space is given to Mrs. Obama’s struggle to find a meaningful role as first lady. My opinion of Mrs. Obama did not change after reading this book. I greatly admire Michelle Obama, and I think that she is an intelligent and elegant first lady who genuinely cares about both the country and her husband’s success.
While Ms. Kantor writes pleasantly enough, I never felt or believed that I was inside of the Obamas’ heads. The supposed drama among the president’s close advisors came off as routine, especially for a first-term president. However, I was heartened to read that Mrs. Obama kept President Obama grounded by acting as the Praetorian Guard to President Obama’s Julius Caesar (remember, thou art mortal).
“The Obamas” is a broad but somewhat tepid recounting of President Barack Obama’s first term. There just weren’t enough new revelations to hold my interest.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.
To purchase your own copy of this book, visit Amazon.com now.
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