Dreams from My Father

I finally got to read the book that has been on my mind for quite some time – 'Dreams from My Father' by Barack Obama. Before saying anything, I have to point out that this book was written well before Mr. Obama even became a senator, so I think that it will only be fair if I try to discuss its contents absolutely independently of the successful career he subsequently made as a politician.

This is one of the most meaningful, insightful and important books I’ve read in a while. It may not have given as many answers as it raised new complicated questions, but therein lies the true power of this book. Although it’s been a long time since I set out on a quest to learn and understand as much as I can about the complex and intricate system of concepts like race and cultural identity that our society rests upon, trying to tap into the collective experience of those whose fate I can never share due to being white, this book quite unexpectedly offered a new and unique insight, an honest introspection, making me ponder various things I had not given due attention to before. There must be quite many people whose circumstances are similar to those of Barack Obama in one way or another, yet his story will strike one as truly notable not only because of its expansive nature spanning two continents and binding together so many distinct individual voices, but also because of the keen perception and an increasingly astute understanding that its main character has of the world around him. I also have to praise Barack Obama’s literary talent, an asset on its own, which allowed him to bring forth the book which in its structure feels like a well-paced and interesting novel.

Of course, there’s always something I’m trying to find in any book that I can personally relate to. I will never be able to feel what it’s like to live a life being trapped between the color lines and not having a solid understanding of your own inheritance and what to make of it. However, I do know what it’s like to be a part of two worlds, sometimes conflicting and ready to clash where you least expect them, not knowing whether you can claim any of them as your own nor understanding whether or not you belong to both of them or to neither. In that, this book also resonates with me in a special way.

Needless to say how big a desire there is to embed the contents of this book into a larger context, how exciting it is to have a new unexpected perspective on Barack Obama's presidency and to get a more nuanced look into the foundations from which his career arose. Whether you approve of what he has done as president or not, it’s impossible to neglect the fact that we are very fortunate to have this man do the most important and the hardest job in the United States of America. His upbringing, the multifaceted picture of the world he has acquired throughout his life in the polarized world of black and white, being an American who is also able to dive into the everyday reality of a Kenyan, or more broadly an African, not an insider yet not a stranger either, inevitably translates into who he is as a person and as president. This is a difficult journey, but knowing the destination Barack Obama has reached so far makes it all the more worthwhile and exciting!