AMERICAN TAPESTRY: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama
As the first African-American First Lady, Michelle Obama is one of the most popular figures in Washington, a woman who has fascinated the world since Barack Obama was first elected in 2008. She is the President's closest confidante, yet we know far less about her family's story than about his. More than three years ago, when New York Times Washington correspondent Rachel L. Swarns co-authored a front-page story about Michelle Obama's ancestry, people across the country were captivated by the details of the First Lady's genealogy. Mrs. Obama was so fascinated by the article's findings that she shared them with family and friends during her first Thanksgiving in the White House.
Now, in AMERICAN TAPESTRY: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama (Publication date: April 9, 2013; Trade Paperback; $16.99), Swarns presents a compelling and comprehensive history of Michelle Obama's family that is both multi-layered and accessible. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Steve Hahn says that Swarns "with great insight and beautiful prose, has revealed the complex, eye-opening and disconcerting experiences that are America."
Based on extensive research and a wealth of interviews, AMERICAN TAPESTRY follows the footsteps of Mrs. Obama's ancestors who fought in the Civil War, endured slavery and escaped from bondage, suffered through the indignities of Jim Crow and moved north during the Great Migration as they journeyed from servitude to the White House. The book also reveals for the first time the identity of Mrs. Obama's white great-great-great grandfather, a man whose identity remained unknown for more than a century in her family tree. New York Times bestselling author Janny Scott notes the book, "unforgettable in its sweep and movingly told, has the power to reshape our understanding of the phrase 'descended from slaves.'"
Inspiring and epic in scope, AMERICAN TAPESTRY is an intimate family history that mirrors the bloodlines of countless Americans and reflects the collective story of our changing nation, where racial lines and ethnic histories intermingle.
Rachel L. Swarns has been a reporter for the New York Times since 1995. She has written about domestic policy and national politics and has reported on immigration, the presidential campaigns of 2004 and 2008, and First Lady Michelle Obama. She has also worked overseas for the Times, reporting from Russia, Cuba and southern Africa where she served as the Johannesburg bureau chief. She previously worked for the Miami Herald and the St. Petersburg Times. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two children.
Latest Stories
- CTU Gathers with Faith-based Leaders to Highlight Recent Tentative Agreement Wins for Students and Educators
- COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER KISHA MCCASKILL TAKES CENTER STAGE AS SOUTH SUBURBAN COMMUNITY UNITES FOR A GREENER FUTURE
- RICH TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR CALVIN JORDAN LEADS HEARTWARMING SPRING CELEBRATION FOR HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES WITH “EASTER JAMBOREE” CELEBRATION
- Local Musician’s Career Spans 50 Years
- Have Questions About Money? The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office Can Help
Latest Podcast
STARR Community Services International, Inc.
