American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama
Rachel L. Swarns
A remarkable history of First Lady Michelle Obama's mixed ancestry as well as a portrait of America itself in an epic and inspiring family saga. Michelle Obama's family saga is a remarkable, quintessentially American story -- a journey from slavery to the White House in five generations. Yet, until now, little has been reported on the First Lady's roots. Prodigiously researched, American Tapestry traces the complex and fascinating tale of Michelle Obama's ancestors, a history that the First Lady did not even know herself. Rachel L. Swarns, a correspondent for the New York Times, brings into focus the First Lady's black, white, and multiracial forebears, and reveals for the first time the identity of Mrs. Obama's white great-great-great-grandfather -- a man who remained hidden in her lineage for more than a century. -- Jacket.
Award History
0 wins · 1 total
| Award | Year | Result | Category / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plutarch Award: Biography | 2013 | Finalist | Secondary source |
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies
This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.
01 Central figures
- Michelle Obama93%
02 Central places
- the White House75%
03 Suggested argument
American Tapestry presents a five-generation family history linking Michelle Obama’s mixed ancestry to broader American history, revealing previously unknown details about her white great-great-great-grandfather.
Model confidence 62%
04 Reading orientation
30 / 100 academicSerious trade
An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.
Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 72%.