Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and InheritanceDreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Score Modern
What it's about
Barack Obama wrote this memoir in his early thirties, before entering politics. He tells of growing up with his white mother and grandparents in Hawaii and Indonesia, barely knowing his Kenyan father; his search for his identity as a young Black man in America; his years as a community organizer on Chicago's South Side; and a journey to Kenya to learn who his father really was.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time. It's thoughtful and literary, a coming-of-age story about race and family.
You'll love it if you liked
Becoming
A Promised Land
Between the World and MeGood to know
Some characters are composites and dialogue is reconstructed. It's reflective rather than political.
By the numbers
- Readers32 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics80 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller56 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #127 of the 198 history books we rank
- #151 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #479 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #918 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
More by Barack Obama
A Promised Land
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Quick answers
Is Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time. It ranks #918 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 73.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance about?
Barack Obama wrote this memoir in his early thirties, before entering politics. He tells of growing up with his white mother and grandparents in Hawaii and Indonesia, barely knowing his Kenyan father; his search for his identity as a young Black man in America; his years as a community organizer on Chicago's South Side; and a journey to Kenya to learn who his father really was.
How long does it take to read Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance?
About 12 hours (461 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance?
If you liked it, try Becoming by Michelle Obama, A Promised Land by Barack Obama or Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates.