US First Ladies in publishing run-off as Michelle Obama and Melania Trump reveal new books

Two former American first ladies announced the publication of new books this week. 

Michelle Obama revealed that Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in the US, and Viking here in the UK, will publish a workbook based on her number 1 New York Times bestseller The Light We Carry later this year. Overcoming: A Workbook will be published on 3rd December, featuring "practical tools for navigating life’s challenges and fortifying oneself in the face of uncertainty, obstacles, and self-doubt". 

Obama, who was First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 and is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, published her memoir Becoming in late 2018. It became a blockbuster publishing hit spending the entirety of December in the number one spot in the BookScan charts. Becoming easily outsold A Promised Land, authored by Obama’s former US President husband, Barack Obama. 

Meanwhile, Melania Trump took to the microblogging site X this week to reveal the cover for her memoir, titled Melania, which will be published by Skyhorse Publishing on 29th October. The publisher describes Melania as "a compelling and inspirational memoir" in which she reflects on "her Slovenian childhood, the pivotal moments that led her to the world of high fashion in Europe and New York, and the serendipitous meeting with Donald Trump, a chance encounter that forever changed the course of her life". It is currently being offered for presale directly through her website for $75 with signed copies available for $150.