Michelle Obama shares intimate family photos to promote forthcoming memoir

Michelle Obama is sharing never-before-seen photos of herself growing up to promote her forthcoming memoir Becoming (Penguin). 

Two posts on Instagram on Tuesday (21st May), designed to give fans more insight into the themes of the book, accrued combined likes overnight of 3.3 million. Her memoir is slated for worldwide publication with Penguin Random House in 24 languages on 13th November and promises to tell the story of “how a little girl from the South Side of Chicago found her voice and developed the strength to use it to empower others”.

The former First Lady shared a first photo on the platform of her with her parents in their “cramped apartment on the South Side of Chicago”. 

She captioned the intimate throwback: “Over the next few days I’ll be sharing some photos and memories from my book Becoming. My father, Fraser, taught me to work hard, laugh often, and keep my word. My mother, Marian, showed me how to think for myself and how to use my voice. Together, in our cramped apartment on the South Side of Chicago, my family helped me see the value in our story, and in the larger story of our country.”

A second photo followed of her as a student, captioned with her thoughts on the value of education: “I was black and from a working class neighbourhood in Chicago, while Princeton’s student body was generally white and well-to-do. I’d never stood out in a classroom for the colour of my skin before. But I found close friends and a mentor who gave me the courage to be myself.”

An audio edition read by Obama herself will be simultaneously released when the book publishes in November. She is also committing to embarking on a US and international book tour.

Details of her husband Barack Obama's book, worldwide rights to which were scooped in the same deal, rumoured to be worth $65m, have yet to be announced.