August 13, 2008

Dreams from My Father

Rating:
Awards: Grammy Award Winner, Best Spoken Word Album, 2005
Author: Barack Obama
Narrator: Barack Obama
Category: Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Release Date:
Length: 7 hours and 13 min
Abridged

An Overview:
Dreams from My Father, A Story of Race and Inheritance.

This review is in no way attempting to influence anyone’s choices, either for or against Barack Obama, as most Americans already have decided who they plan to vote for. However, I think that it is the civic responsibility of every American over the age of eighteen to try to learn about all of the candidates. Understanding the more personal details, knowing what motivates them, helps to be able to make educated decisions about how well that candidate will represent the voters' interests while in office. I believe that in this book, Obama helps the readers understand where he comes from and what his intended goals are.

I found Obama’s chronicles of searching for his heritage intriguing. His background was truly multicultural with a White Hawaiian mother, Black Kenyan father and Indonesian stepfather, Not only was his family experience colorful, his years travelling brought him to Indonesia and Kenya as well as Hawaii, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Dreams from My Father is a powerful story about a young man coming of age and becoming strong with powerful beliefs about the world and humanity.

The only negative to the book is that it is important to remember that it was written nearly 15 years ago. Some of the content is dated. I find myself wondering how the last decade and a half has changed him. Despite this, I think the book gives excellent insight into his mindset. I can’t wait to read his other books. Definitely worth all five stars.

The Narration:
It is usually a treat to listen to a book narrated by the author and this book is no exception.

Reviewed by Sarah Gross