A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother Audiobook

" Super fascinating. not the best told story ever, but a really fascinating woman. goes into a lot of detail about her field work in Indonesia where she studied the informal economy and became a practitioner including a key Ford Foundation employee in Indonesia and wound up being an early promoter of microfinance. Also some interesting light on the health care problems she encountered - not quite accurately detailed during the campaign, but whatevs. She also had these crazy expat friendships that brought me back to Armenia. "

" I found the life of President O'Bama's mother interesting, but I felt that the book wasn't well written. "

" I knew practically nothing about Obama's mother, so I'm really glad I read this comprehensive book about her too-short life. To be remembered with love and affection by your children - what more could a mother want? Both of her children are a testament to her. "

" This comprehensive and balanced biography of Ann Dunham, Barak Obama's mother, offers a remarkable view of a highly intelligent woman who lived life fully and on her own terms, unafraid of standing out or doing things differently. I learned a great deal about microfinance in Indonesia and other developing countries, perhaps more than I wanted, but this is where Dunham primarily spent her working years. Her struggles to meet family needs and fulfill her career/educational goals are central to the book. The author also sheds light on the values Dunham passed on to President Obama. Very worthwhile. "

" This one was a low 3 stars for me. The writing and storytelling were fine if not spectacular. It left me with a clearer picture of our enigmatic president. There was a ton I didn't know, like his mother had two kids and two failed marriages in 4 years, then lived in Indonesia. At one point she worked for DAI, and, on the bright side, I feel better about my PhD progression after reading her story. Worth reading if you want to understand the president a little more. "

" Finished this a few weeks ago but forgot to update. It's a slow read, in part because there is so much to savor and so much to learn. I doubt I will ever forget the deep impression this book made or the real story of this amazing woman. Highly recommended. "

" Very thorough account of the life of Stanley Ann Dunham. Many surprises as you follow this unique woman's life. Definitely worth the read! "

" Could use some serious editing, but I did learn some small facts about her life that I have not read in other sources. "

" A bit slow at times. Author seemed to be reaching to find something interesting about the Presidents mom. Overall good research and informative. Maybe a bit longer than needed. "

" I don't usually read biographies but found this story of Barak O'Bama's mother to be very interesting and well written. "

" This is a great complement to Obama's biography, "Dreams from My Father," and the David Maraniss biography of Barack Obama himself. Turns out that his mother was a really interesting woman! Among other things, she was one of the early pioneers of microfinancing in the Third World. "

" I wanted to love this book, but I found the writing annoying. The author interviewed lots of people, but rather than just using the info they provided, she gives a short bio about everybody. Too many people mentioned, got boring. "

" Well written. Easy to see why she raised such remarkable son. "

" Lots of information but no soul. "

" Well researched biography of an interesting woman that I would have loved to have known, gives a slightly different perspective on Obama's background. "

" A bit dry and over detailed on all the places she lived, work she did... Not as enlightening as I thought it would be... She did live an interesting life but 1/2 the book could have been eliminated as to me it just seemed that every chapter was more of the same. "

" I enjoyed this book; I learned a lot about Stanley and Barack Obama. I wasn't a huge fan of the way the book was written, or how it went into a lot of detail on some aspects of her life and not others. However, most of the book was really quite fascinating and enlightening. I recommend it. "

" it is unmistakable that ann dunham's core values, generous spirit, and at times, naive idealism, live on through our president today. an insightful biography. "

" Learned that there was so much more to this woman than we learned about during the campaign/election. Way too many details about her Anthropology field work, though it made her accomplishments clear. Glad I stuck to it until the end. "

" Being an anthropology major/African studies minor, I was very interested in this account of President Obama's mother. In ways it made me want to take a different route after college, but she also gave up a lot to continue her dream...or obsession. "

" Amazing woman, amazing book. What an incredible, inspiring life she lived. "

" This is a fascinating portrait of a complicated woman, one whom I deeply admired by the time I'd finished reading. My only complaints would be that large chunks seemed to be taken from Obama's books, and also there was no index. "

" An interesting story of Stanley Ann Dunham, a cultural anthropologist based mostly in Indonesia. The story interviewed many of her family members, friends and associates. It explored many aspects of her character that are so evident in Barack Obama. "