Photo: Rachel Nadeau
The top pick so far this year? Becoming by Michelle Obama.
As of this writing, the most requested book in the Hennepin County Library system in 2019 is Becoming by Michelle Obama. This is the honest, deeply personal and captivating memoir of the former First Lady of the U.S,, who grew up in her great aunt’s apartment on the south side of Chicago with her parents and brother. Her upbringing was modest, but her parents gave her the deep assurance that she was good enough for any challenge in life. This confidence carried her through her years at Princeton University, where she was often the only black woman in the room, her career as a corporate lawyer and the political campaign trail. She also shares family stories during the White House years. This is an engrossing book about a truly extraordinary life.
For 2018, the top requested book was Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Shaker Heights is a peaceful suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, where everything goes according to plan. The Richardsons are an affluent family with four children. Things start changing when Mia, a free-spirited artist, and her teenaged daughter, Pearl, come to town and rent a house from the Richardsons. Mysterious Mia and appealing Pearl intrigue the Richardson children, and Elena Richardson gives Mia a job. However, when friends of the family try to adopt a Chinese-American baby, custody conflicts occur, and Elena and Mia become enemies. Elena becomes obsessed with revealing Mia’s history. As a result, events take a disastrous turn.
