Imagine receiving a call that your brother in United States has just been elected to serve as the nation’s president. That is exactly what happened to Auma Obama when her brother Barack H. Obama became the Forty-Fourth President of the United States, serving two terms from 2008 to 2016. His story is well-known to Americans but the life of Auma back in Kenya is a footnote to his presidential success. This is her story and an inside look in the Obama family whose name is world-famous due to their distant relative from Hawaii who took America by surprise in an election campaign that was both riveting and inspiring. When I saw this autobiography appear in my list of recommendations, I decided to make the purchase and learn more about our former president’s Kenyan heritage.

The story begins in the Rachuonyo District of Kenya, where the Obama family resides. They are part of the Luo, a Nilotic ethnic group found in several sections of the African continent. Auma explains the family’s history, Luo customs and views on life, and the story of Barack Obama, Sr. (1934-1982) whose actions affect several families in diverse ways. As I read, I instantly noted that Auma was not the average Luo woman and fiercely determined to pave her own path in life. In the Luo culture, it is easier said than done for women to be independent, but she does not let her gender stop her. Of course, there are trials and tribulations along the way, including the unpredictable actions of her father Barack, Sr. I was aware that Barack, Jr., did not have a relationship with his father. However, I was not aware of the other families the father created across several time zones. This part of the book was a curve ball and would later come back to play a role in family relations long after Barack, Sr.’s death. But before we reach that tragedy, Auma is on the move and finds herself in route to Germany where she begins a new life in a nation completely different from Kenya.

Her anecdotes about finding her footing in Germany are humorous and relatable, and thankfully she was able to persevere. But there are hiccups on her journey, and a bad romance darkens her mood at one time in the book. However, life must go on and it did with Auma making a home in Europe which included a change of scenery from Germany to the United Kingdom where she finds love again and motherhood. In between moving from country to country, she remains in contact with her half-brother from Hawaii. She knows his name is Barack like their father but had never met sibling in America. Everything changes when they meet, and I love this part of the book. There are no cameras, press conferences or statements, just two siblings bonded by their father whose actions are not always understood. The affection between the two siblings and discussions about their upbringings is heartwarming. But there is one statement by the future president about his father’s absence that gave me a chill. And it drives home of the importance of a father in a child’s life.

In November 1982, Auma receives a call from relatives in Kenya that her father Barack, Sr., had died in an automobile accident and was taken to a local hospital by unknown persons. This part of the story is strange because there are unanswered questions about the end of his life. Auma pieces together the chain of events as best as possible but I could not help but feel chills thinking about his sudden death. However, it is clear from the story that towards of his life, he no longer held the same level of prestige as he did in his youth and had become an outcast to the Kenyan government. There are no conspiracy theories, and his death was never ruled a homicide, but there is mystery behind his demise. The family is left grieving, and Auma goes through a series of emotions as she confronts the reality that her father is gone, and her marital issues. But again, hope arrives in the form of her brother who has met his wife-to-be Michelle and decided that politics is his calling.

I do not want to spoil anything but the remainder of the book following her brother’s entry into politics is delightful and fascinating. Auma soon found herself in the media as Obama’s sister in Africa, but the reality is that they had formed a strong family bond years before Barack, Jr., knew he would run for public office. She manages the sudden fame as best as possible but has her moments when it is overwhelming, as we see in one situation where she is out with her daughter and second husband. Despite her reservations, her brother had catapulted her into the public light, but the story of the Obama family runs much deeper than the presidency. It is a story of tribal customs, emigration, a generation gap, tragedy, and success. If you want to know more about former President Obama, Auma Obama and the family name which holds a place in world history, this book is for you.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007FU7X6C
Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin’s Press; First edition (April 24, 2012)