American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama - Hardcover

Swarns, Rachel L

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061999865 ISBN 13: 9780061999864

Publisher: Amistad, 2012

Synopsis

Michelle Obama's family saga is a remarkable, quintessentially American story - a journey from slavery to the White House in five generations. As moving as "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and as sweeping as "The Warmth of Other Suns", "American Tapestry" traces the complex and fascinating story of Michelle Obama's ancestors, a history that the "First Lady" did not even know herself. Going back to the nineteenth century, Rachel L. Swarns brings into focus the black, white, and multiracial forebears of the nation's first African-American first lady, and reveals for the first time the identity of Mrs. Obama's white great-great-great grandfather - a man who remained hidden for more than a century in her family tree. "American Tapestry" illuminates the lives of the ordinary people who fought for freedom in the 'Revolutionary and Civil Wars'; who founded the 'Jewish Reform' movement; who endured the agonies of slavery, the displacement of the Great Migration, and the horrors of Jim Crow to build a better future for their children. Though it is an intimate family history, "American Tapestry" is also the collective story of our changing nation - a nation in which racial intermingling lingers in the bloodlines of countless Americans, and slavery remains the crucible through which many family lines-black, white, and Native American-were forged. Expertly researched, epic in scope, "American Tapestry" is a singularly American, singularly inspiring story with resonance for us all.

About this title

Review:

“Extraordinary. . . . A fascinating account of the First Lady’s family. . . . No political [book] has ever looked like this one.” (New York Times Book Review)

“Riveting. . . . A microcosm of this country’s story. . . . The real-life saga of struggle, survival, triumph and tragedy serves as an uplifting companion to Alex Haley’s Roots.” (USA Today)

“Richly detailed. . . . A lushly layered portrait of the nation itself. . . .Swarns weaves a narrative in which massive social changes (slavery, Reconstruction, the Great Migration) and the microscopic details of DNA play equally important roles.” (Boston Globe)

“Swarns has unearthed and disseminated crucial American history here. . . . A remarkable, only-in-America story that Swarns tells with care and thoughtfulness. . . . Her passion for the story is clear and striking. . . . This book is a worthy and significant endeavor.” (Washington Post)

“Swarns paints a vivid, intriguing portrait of people whose struggles, losses, and triumphs speak volumes about the pull of family and the power of American endurance.” (Los Angeles Times)

“A meticulously researched and eloquently written real-life detective story.” (Essence)

“A completely fascinating look at the complex ancestry of one family, African Americans, and all Americans.” (Booklist (starred review))

“Tremendously moving. . . . Swarns provides numerous tales of heartbreak and achievement, many of which essentially make up the American story.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“An engrossing book. . . . Swarns outlines the fascinating journeys taken by various ancestors of First Lady Michelle Obama―the people who, across the generations, helped make her who she is today.” (Library Journal)

“[A] meticulous, detailed investigation into Mrs. Obama’s family tree. . . . American Tapestry holds rewards.” (Denver Post)

From the Back Cover:

Michelle Obama's family saga is a remarkable, quintessentially American story—a journey from slavery to the White House in five generations. Yet, until now, little has been reported on the First Lady's roots. Prodigiously researched, American Tapestry traces the complex and fascinating tale of Michelle Obama's ancestors, a history that the First Lady did not even know herself. Rachel L. Swarns, a correspondent for the New York Times, brings into focus the First Lady's black, white, and multiracial forebears, and reveals for the first time the identity of Mrs. Obama's white great-great-great-grandfather—a man who remained hidden in her lineage for more than a century.

American Tapestry illuminates the lives of the ordinary people in Mrs. Obama's family tree who fought for freedom in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars; who endured the agonies of slavery, the disappointment of Reconstruction, the displacement of the Great Migration, and the horrors of Jim Crow to build a better future for their children. Swarns even found a possible link to the Jewish Reform movement.

Though it is an intimate family history, American Tapestry is also the collective chronicle of our changing nation, a nation in which racial intermingling lingers in the bloodlines of countless citizens and slavery was the crucible through which many family lines—black, white, and Native American—were forged.

Epic in scope and beautifully rendered, this is a singularly inspiring story with resonance for us all.

About this edition

• Publisher: Amistad
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0061999865
• ISBN 13: 9780061999864
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 400