Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

I remember reading somewhere that conservative columnist George Will believed that this book could quite possibly be the best memoir penned by a politician. Though his assertion is debatable, Mr. Will's alleged statement highlights the quality of this memoir. The writing and depth of introspection in Mr. Obama's book is admirable. It is a journey about racial identity, spiritual awakening, social responsibilty and a search for the meaning of family. My wife and I are both Caucasian and our two, young sons are African-American. Over the decades, I've read a plethora of books/memoirs pertaining to race and, easily, this is one of the books I will recommend for my boys to read. A truly inspirational and gutsy book.

I have liked Barack Obama ever since he stopped to speak in the small Iowa town that I was living for the past few years. He has a true sincerity that can instantly be felt and he comes across as a very likable person. My Husband and I decided to read this book as well as THE AUDACITY OF HOPE before giving the man our vote and let me tell you I am glade we did. From reading the story of his life you understand how Obama has been shaped as a man and a politician. Every issue that the US is facing today is seen in the life of Barack and his family. The story was very elegant, thought provoking and all inclusive in it's view of the world. Any American can read this book and see there self in Obama's experiences. Based on this book I believe Obama will be a wonderful president of the likes never before seen in these modern days.

I am a college educated, bi-racial female in my early twenties and the hypersensitive racial observations found in Barack Obama's book Dreams from my Father left me a bit miffed. It seems his preoccupation with race and heritage are more a symptom of the trauma he felt at his father's absence than an inspirational story as the subtitle suggests. Being bi-racial, I too had an "awakening" of sorts when I realized I did not look like all the kids at school--but my restlessness pertaining to this aspect of my identity vanished before the end of high school and I now see identity more as something a mature person makes of herself rather than something tied to one's racial heritage. In this aspect BO's narrative worldview came off as ridiculous. Each chapter drolls on endlessly with black, white, brown...a category for everyone with blame slathered on the "white folks". Excuse the pun, but I'm not inclined to look to someone with thinner skin than I as a leader.

I am uncertain of where BO gets his sense of whites ruling over blacks given his upbringing. After all, it was his grandmother who sacrificed her golden years to take a job and care for him while his mother was off seeing the world. His grandfather too was supportive. Yet, one cannot ignore BO's loathing "white" achievement and gloating over "white" misfortune. For example he mentions his glee at seeing European shrunken heads at a museum, laughing at this "cosmic joke" and describing the experience as [akin to eating Tiger meat, a form of taking control] pg. 145. Given his own White heritage and upbringing his words sound like those of a spoiled, self-centered brat. Consequently, his worldview demonstrates that he blames the alienation we all feel on the first day of school completely on his skin color and christened it as the scapegoat for all his emotional insecurities for years to come.

I would wish not to continue with examples of BO's racially divisive worldview but some of the scenes left me so disturbed I am compelled to make note of them. For example on page 124 BO states that "The emotions between the races [can] never be pure; even love [is] tarnished by the desire to find in the other some element that [is] missing in ourselves...the other race [will always] remain just that: menacing, alien, and apart." Then on page 127 BO writes, "What I heard from my mother that day, speaking about my father, was something that I suspect most Americans will never hear from the lips of those of another race, and so cannot be expected to believe might exist between black and white: the love of someone who knows your life in the round, a love that will survive disappointment. She saw my father as everyone hopes at least one person might see him...

These two passages demonstrate BO's cynical underestimation of all humanity. It reeks of paranoia--a type of racial hatred I have never experienced as a biracial person living in America.

In critique of BO's writing style I will say he has a keen sense of metaphor and simile. His prose paints a clear picture of each scene and person. Yet his use of dialogue is cumbersome. Dialogue between him and sometimes trivial characters lasts for pages at times with no clear point. I learned that good writing shows you a story and bad writing tells you everything. In this BO's use of dialogue would exemplify bad writing as he tells the reader every single detail instead of artfully weaving useful dialogue into key scenes.

I read the book through to the last page and was waiting for an "Aha" moment when he would say that he had found "beauty, worthiness, equality and strength in all of humanity and therefore concluded his quest for perfect racial identity" but in this I was disappointed.

Considering all the points made above it is generous for me to give BO's book two stars--especially considering that I consider his book even worse than Chuck Norris' biography which I read earlier this year. I hope this review was helpful and I would like to hear other's interpretations and opinions concerning the above passages.

I highly recommend this book. It provides a unique insight into Barack Obama's strong character.

It isn't often that one finds a celebrity figure who is honest enough to not only admit their flaws, but draw attention to them. In Barack Obama's memoir, he does just that. Regardless of his portrayal in the media and his appeal as a politician, Obama wrote a story that tells of his tribulations growing up, and what he learned along the way.
His story is wrapped around his search for his father's true identity. Growing up Obama gained little influence from his father and only dreamed of what the man truly was. Even in school he spun yarns about his father's life in Africa: "My Grandfather, see, he's a chief. It's sort of like the king of the tribe... So that makes my father a prince. He'll take over when my grandfather dies" (63). Behind his mythical tales, Obama dreams of the real life behind his father's mysterious exterior, hoping to one day discover a man of true wonder behind the stories.
Before Barack can find anything out, though, his father dies in a car accident. Obama is sent reeling, and begins a journey throughout the rest of the story to find how he relates to his unknown father's identity. However, he struggles to undertake this task until he begins to delve into his own identity, a difficult task for a young, stubborn Barack.
Throughout his early years Barack is faced with a number of outside changes that shift his identity. He lives in Hawaii, Indonesia, New York and Chicago, searching for something that provides meaning to him. One of Barack's first breakthroughs is in finding his desire to help others. He begins work in Chicago as a community organizer, his platform from which he goes on to do great things. It is his toil along the way, though, that shapes his character. He confronts numerous obstacles on his way to gaining influence. In one instance, when speaking with a Chicago public school principle, he asks for any suggestions. Her response suggests the scale of the task Obama takes on: "Short of tearing this whole place down and giving people a chance to start over, I'm not sure" (232). This exemplifies the trouble with Barack's situation, knowing that he cannot easily solve problems such as poverty and race issues. Obama grapples with his character, at times striving to take on the world, at others not sure where to begin. This personal battle is what makes the story behind his strife fascinating, as the reader watches him grow, while searching for the man who fuels his courage.