Michelle Obama announces second book: ‘a toolbox to stay centred’ | Books

A new book by former first lady Michelle Obama will offer readers “fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge and power”, according to her publisher.

The Light We Carry, which will be published in November, is Obama’s second book, after her bestselling memoir Becoming, which was released in November 2018.

She announced the new book on social media today, saying in a video that “a lot has happened” since she published Becoming, including “an insurrection” and a “rising tide of hate and bigotry and intolerance”.

She said these had left her feeling “out of balance” and “vulnerable and yes, at times, afraid”. As a result, she was “doing a lot of reflecting” on questions such as how to “channel our frustration into something positive”.

The result is The Light We Carry, which Obama described as “a kind of a toolbox” and “a collection of some of the perspectives and practices I’ve gathered over the years to help keep me centred”.

Penguin Random House said the book details Obama’s “most valuable practices, like ‘starting kind’, ‘going high’, and assembling a ‘kitchen table’ of trusted friends and mentors”.

In the introduction to the book, Obama writes: “I’ve learned it’s okay to recognise that self-worth comes wrapped in vulnerability, and that what we share as humans on this earth is the impulse to strive for better, always and no matter what.

“We become bolder in brightness. If you know your light, you know yourself. You know your own story in an honest way. In my experience, this type of self-knowledge builds confidence, which in turn breeds calmness and an ability to maintain perspective, which leads, finally, to being able to connect meaningfully with others – and this to me is the bedrock of all things. One light feeds another. One strong family lends strength to more. One engaged community can ignite those around it. This is the power of the light we carry.”

The book will be released globally on 15 November, four years after Becoming came out.

Becoming chronicled Obama’s journey from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her experiences as the first Black first lady of the US. It has been translated into 50 languages and sold more than 17m copies across all formats worldwide, according to the publisher.

A new book by former first lady Michelle Obama will offer readers “fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge and power”, according to her publisher.

The Light We Carry, which will be published in November, is Obama’s second book, after her bestselling memoir Becoming, which was released in November 2018.

She announced the new book on social media today, saying in a video that “a lot has happened” since she published Becoming, including “an insurrection” and a “rising tide of hate and bigotry and intolerance”.

She said these had left her feeling “out of balance” and “vulnerable and yes, at times, afraid”. As a result, she was “doing a lot of reflecting” on questions such as how to “channel our frustration into something positive”.

The result is The Light We Carry, which Obama described as “a kind of a toolbox” and “a collection of some of the perspectives and practices I’ve gathered over the years to help keep me centred”.

Penguin Random House said the book details Obama’s “most valuable practices, like ‘starting kind’, ‘going high’, and assembling a ‘kitchen table’ of trusted friends and mentors”.

In the introduction to the book, Obama writes: “I’ve learned it’s okay to recognise that self-worth comes wrapped in vulnerability, and that what we share as humans on this earth is the impulse to strive for better, always and no matter what.

“We become bolder in brightness. If you know your light, you know yourself. You know your own story in an honest way. In my experience, this type of self-knowledge builds confidence, which in turn breeds calmness and an ability to maintain perspective, which leads, finally, to being able to connect meaningfully with others – and this to me is the bedrock of all things. One light feeds another. One strong family lends strength to more. One engaged community can ignite those around it. This is the power of the light we carry.”

The book will be released globally on 15 November, four years after Becoming came out.

Becoming chronicled Obama’s journey from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her experiences as the first Black first lady of the US. It has been translated into 50 languages and sold more than 17m copies across all formats worldwide, according to the publisher.