Photo: Getty
The former First Lady will offer stories and reflections on themes of “change, challenge, and power.”
Michelle Obama announced on Thursday that after publishing her memoir Becoming in 2018, she will be releasing her second book this fall. This time she’ll focus on the many lessons she’s learned over the last couple of years about adapting to our stressful, ever-changing world.
The former First Lady’s latest literary offering, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, is set to be released on November 15 and, according to a press release announcing the forthcoming book, will offer readers “reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress.”
Obama will share some of the fundamentals she’s picked up on how to “adapt to change and overcome various obstacles,” while also “drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady.” Such tactics include ideas like “starting kind,” “going high,” and assembling a “kitchen table” of friends, family, and mentors that you can turn to in times of need.
In the introduction of this new book, Obama writes, “I’ve learned it’s okay to recognize 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.”
And, in a social media post promoting the new book, the former First Lady also added, “I can’t believe it’s been a few years since I published my memoir, Becoming. And in that time a lot has happened. We’ve seen a global pandemic. We’ve seen an insurrection, a rising tide of hate and bigotry and intolerance, and a whole lot more. And it’s often left me feeling out of balance. I don’t know about you, I felt vulnerable, and yes, at times I felt afraid. How do we overcome our fears? How can we channel our frustration into something positive? And how do we rekindle that flame that’s inside each of us?” She continued, “I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on those kind of questions. I’ve spoken to a lot of loved ones, many of you, about what we all seem to be facing, and what has resulted from that process is actually my new book…I think of it as kind of a toolbox—a collection of some of the perspectives and practices I’ve gathered over the years to help keep me centered even during times of high anxiety and stress. My hope is that we can equip ourselves with new tools and attitudes so that, together, maybe we’ll be a little steadier with the understanding that none of us has to go through any of this alone.”
The CEO of Penguin Random House, Markus Dohle, also said in a statement that getting to partner with the best-selling memoirist and Grammy winner on her second book has been an honor. He writes, “As the world struggles with an unprecedented health pandemic, deep political divisions, social and racial injustice, and anxiety about the future, I am confident that her new book will provide all of us with some urgently needed reassurance while rekindling a spirit of optimism about the power we all hold to positively shape our personal and collective futures.”
Originally published in Vanityfair.com
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