Barack Obama's Dreams From my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

Dreams From my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

Plot: In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father—a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man—has been killed in a car accident. This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey—first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother’s family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father’s life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance. 

My Review and Thoughts:

What a wonderful journey through one man’s life and his search to find himself. This is an extraordinary history lesson of our 44th President of the United States Barack Obama. I enjoyed this process in following his childhood to his struggle to become someone. To try and fit in amongst whites and amongst his own kind. He struggled to find inner peace and that struggle was based on his whole atmosphere, a lack of a father and also a mother at times. His struggle to survive in an all white atmosphere at times plays perfect on the page so that the reader can understand his ordeal. 

This memoir is a thought provoking and touching reality of life itself and the ability to survive in surroundings that seem to be against you. This unfolds as a narrative of Mr. Obama’s life up until his enrollment at Harvard Law School. This was published in 1995 and so for the American it is a great way to showcase our Commander and Chief before his duty as leader of the free world. 

I enjoy following along from personal views and ordeals such as the divorce of his parents, the uprooting to Kenya and then back to Hawaii and then growing up to discover his African roots and the struggle of being half white and Caucasian and half African never really feeling that he fit in on either side.

I feel this is a unique and original one of kind piece of modern literature that will be remembered through out time as being a personal touching and open minded reality of one persons ultimate battle and in the end he achieved the greatest place in history being the President of the United States. I do feel this is the best memoir by any government employee that I have ever read or that has ever graced the written world. 

What makes this stand out, is its honest, it’s frank in it’s tone and reality, it does not sugar coat or sweep things that most government officials would want hidden, but that’s the beauty of the book, it’s honest, it’s say this is real, this is me, I am not hiding behind a suit of lies or an election run.

You trace his birth in 1961 to a very unusual setting for it’s time to a white woman and an African. He was born and raised in Hawaii and raised by his white grand parents. He was raised to accept and to understand both races of people. His struggle to fit in was a major part of his understanding of life. He became lost. His struggle he hid so that he would not upset his grandparents but there was a longing to find out his past, to find out just who he was.

 I think something I really love about this book is Obama basically is his own worst enemy growing up, because he fights himself and questions himself almost on every chapter if not every single page. You as an average person gets to relate to this man who ultimately becomes my president which makes me feel and like Barack Obama all the more because I get to relate to him because he is an average person. So many presidents or politicians hide behind Holy Art Thou type of attitude or I am always right type understanding but not with Obama, he is the peoples president, he is an average Joe with countless battles and mistakes and that makes him human, that’s makes you feel close to him. 

This is an inspiring story that I will never forget just for the reality. The book is amazing, but knowing what this man became makes it all the more powerful. He followed his dreams and he fought his battles and became the President. Everything about this book is fascinating and makes me feel totally impressed at how far this wonderful man came to accomplish what he did. 

Barack Obama is a very intelligent man. He gives a heartfelt journey for the reader. I have to say with all honesty it’s a perfect book to read.

A great story, a terrific read. And most of all a truly one of kind beautiful prose, a lyrical poetry that flows off the page.