A remarkable history of First Lady Michelle Obama’s mixed ancestry,
American Tapestry
by Rachel L. Swarns is nothing less than a breathtaking and expansive portrait of America itself.
In this extraordinary feat of genealogical research—in the tradition of
The Hemmingses of Monticello
and
Slaves in the Family
—author Swarns, a respected Washington-based reporter for the
New York Times
, tells the fascinating and hitherto untold story of Ms. Obama’s black, white, and multiracial ancestors; a history that the First Lady herself did not know.
At once epic, provocative, and inspiring,
is more than a true family saga; it is an illuminating mirror in which we may all see ourselves.