Michelle Obama Pens Second Book—‘The Light We Carry’—That Will Be Out In November

Topline

Michelle Obama has written a second memoir, The Light We Carry, following up on the success of her first book Becoming, that will be released November 15, she announced Thursday on social media.

Key Facts

In grappling with the pandemic, the January 6 insurrection and the rise of hatred in America, the former first lady said she felt “afraid,” “vulnerable” and “out of balance.”

The book is “a collection of stories and practices that have helped me sort through all the challenges and questions that keep us up at night,” she wrote.

Penguin Random House is giving The Light We Carry a first printing of 2.75 million copies, and is releasing the book in 14 languages in 27 countries.

The book is not part of the Obamas’ previous book deal with Penguin Random House, a spokesperson for the publisher told the Associated Press.

Key Background

Penguin Random House previously published Becoming and former President Barack Obama’s memoir A Promised Land. More than 2 million copies of Becoming were sold in the U.S. and Canada in the 15 days after it was published in November 2018. It’s sold over 17 million copies worldwide. Michelle Obama followed up on the success of the book in 2020 with the 10-episode Michelle Obama Podcast on Spotify. That year she won a Grammy award for the audio book for Becoming. A documentary about her book tour was also released on Netflix. She also released a kids’ show about healthy eating on the platform.

Big Number

$65 million. That’s reportedly the value of the deal the Obamas jointly inked with Penguin in 2017 for their memoirs, which would be one of the largest book deals in history, topping the value of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s contract.

Further Reading

Britney Spears’ $15 Million Book Deal Shows Why Success Is The Best Revenge (Forbes)