Dreams from My Father (Large Print)

In this compelling and unsentimental memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a meaningful life as a black American. Beginning in New York, the narrative is sparked by the sudden death of Barack Obama's father, a figure he knows more as a myth than a man. This inspires an emotional odyssey, first to a small town in Kansas, where he retraces his mother's family migration to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he confronts the bitter truths of his father's life and reconciles his divided heritage.

The left-hand cover photograph depicts Habiba Akumu Hussein, President Obama's paternal grandmother, with his father as a young boy. The right-hand photograph shows Stanley Dunham and Ann Dunham, the president's maternal grandfather and mother as a young girl.

This lyrical memoir explores the author's quest to find a workable meaning to his life as a black American, navigating the complex intersections of his diverse ancestral roots. The narrative moves fluidly between New York, Kansas, Hawaii, and Kenya, as Obama uncovers the personal and historical threads that have shaped his identity. Through this emotional journey, he confronts the realities of his father's life and ultimately reconciles the disparate elements of his own divided inheritance.

The author's prose is both compelling and unsentimental, guiding the reader through this deeply personal exploration of race, family, and self-discovery. This work offers a unique and insightful perspective on the African-American experience, as Obama grapples with the complexities of his mixed heritage and strives to forge a meaningful understanding of his place in the world.

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