In 'Dreams from My Father,' Barack Obama embarks on a profound journey to uncover his identity amid the complexities of race, culture, and belonging. With poignant narratives ranging from his childhood in Hawaii to his time in Indonesia and his search for his Kenyan roots, Obama weaves a tapestry of personal history and broader social issues. Each chapter offers reflective insights into his family's legacy and the influences that shaped his worldview. The memoir not only illuminates his path to becoming the first African American President but also invites readers to ponder their own connections to heritage and identity. What obstacles does he face in reconciling his diverse backgrounds, and how do they redefine his understanding of dreams and aspirations?
By Barack Obama
Published: 2007
"I learned that I am a product of my dreams, my father’s dreams, and the dreams of all those who came before me, and it is through these dreams that I find my own identity."
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ONE OF ESSENCE’S 50 MOST IMPACTFUL BLACK BOOKS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS In this iconic memoir of his early days, Barack Obama “guides us straight to the intersection of the most serious questions of identity, class, and race” (The Washington Post Book World). “Quite extraordinary.”—Toni Morrison 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. Praise for Dreams from My Father “Beautifully crafted . . . moving and candid . . . This book belongs on the shelf beside works like James McBride’s The Color of Water and Gregory Howard Williams’s Life on the Color Line as a tale of living astride America’s racial categories.”—Scott Turow “Provocative . . . Persuasively describes the phenomenon of belonging to two different worlds, and thus belonging to neither.”—The New York Times Book Review “Obama’s writing is incisive yet forgiving. This is a book worth savoring.”—Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here “One of the most powerful books of self-discovery I’ve ever read, all the more so for its illuminating insights into the problems not only of race, class, and color, but of culture and ethnicity. It is also beautifully written, skillfully layered, and paced like a good novel.”—Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of In My Place “Dreams from My Father is an exquisite, sensitive study of this wonderful young author’s journey into adulthood, his search for community and his place in it, his quest for an understanding of his roots, and his discovery of the poetry of human life. Perceptive and wise, this book will tell you something about yourself whether you are black or white.”—Marian Wright Edelman
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“I learned that I am a product of my dreams, my father’s dreams, and the dreams of all those who came before me, and it is through these dreams that I find my own identity.”
Dreams from My Father
By Barack Obama
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Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States and a prominent author known for his eloquent writing and reflective narrative style. His notable works include 'Dreams from My Father,' a memoir that explores his early life and identity, and 'The Audacity of Hope,' which outlines his political philosophy and vision for America. His writing often combines personal anecdotes with broader social themes, making complex ideas accessible to a wide audience. Obama's literary contributions have garnered critical acclaim and have sparked important discussions on race, politics, and the human experience.
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