Dreams from My Father

A Story of Race and Inheritance

By: Barack Obama

Narrated by: Barack Obama

Now available unabridged on audio for the first time

Number one New York Times best seller

One of Essence's 50 Most Impactful Black Books of the Past 50 Years

In this iconic memoir of his early days, Barack Obama “guides us straight to the intersection of the most serious questions of identity, class, and race” (The Washington Post Book World).

In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a Black African father and a White American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a Black American. It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father - a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man - has been killed in a car accident. This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey - first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother’s family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father’s life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance.

©2021 Barack Obama (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Fluidly, calmly, insightfully, Obama guides us straight to the intersection of the most serious questions of identity, class, and race.” (Washington Post Book World)

“Beautifully crafted...moving and candid.... This book belongs on the shelf beside works like James McBride’s The Color of Water and Greg Williams’ Life on the Color Line as a tale of living astride America’s racial categories.” (Scott Turow)

“Provocative.... Persuasively describes the phenomenon of belonging to two different worlds, and thus belonging to neither.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“One of the most powerful books of self-discovery I’ve ever read, all the more so for its illuminating insights into the problems not only of race, class, and color, but of culture and ethnicity. It is also beautifully written, skillfully layered, and paced like a good novel.” (Charlayne Hunter-Gault)

Beautifully written!

President Obama‘s handcrafted memoir is put together in such a lovely way, that you feel like you’re watching it all happen. Every book I listen to of his Dills me with more and more admiration for the life he has led, from his interesting beginnings to his successful career and finally his dignified continuous presence in our nation’s history. We have been fortunate to have him serve as such a wonderful model for all people

Knowledge

It’s an insight into Obama. You might not agree with all the policy directions. But you have to understand his humanness. We have a messy mixed up world. But it is one world.

Good read

I enjoyed hearing about President Obama’s thoughts before he was elected president.
I think he got a little long winded in a few sections.
Overall I liked it.

excellent memoir

An amazing tale of how president Obama grew up, his journey as a young black man in America, and the chase of his father's history in Africa. This memoir is sweet, sad, happy and hopeful at the same time. I can't recommend more.

Such an authentic piece

I loved loved loved it all.

The best book I have ever listened to.
The accents were on point and made it even more authentic and entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. Wow!

l wish he had more time

Well written and story. There are 1000's of people that can relate to this story. I have recommended this for my book club.

Excellent!

Obama's narration was perfect! I loved this book so much I would listen again. Especially the last chapter where he writes about his grandfather.

great look into how family affects us

Mr Obama goes through amazing tale of finding identity through being raised in many different cultures. as he goes through life different cultures affect him interestingly and guide him through his life. in the end most cultures have a common thread of humanity.

This book fed my soul

This book touched me like no other. It will waken in me a desire to know more about my family and my background

Autobiography of a great man, read by that man.

Obama is a wonderful narrator. This book is particularly interesting because he doesn’t know that he will be the 44th President of the United States when he writes it.
He is a talented writer but it is his authenticity I enjoy most.