Michelle Obama’s new memoir is already a literary force and it hasn’t been out a full week. Becoming sold more than 725,000 copies on its first day making it one of the most successful book releases of the year, Crown Publishing, Obama’s literary house, revealed to the Associated Press Friday (Nov. 16).
The sales figures include pre-sale orders, according to the publishing house. Crown will push an additional 800,000 copies of Becoming into print raising the number of copies to 2.6 million. The memoir also gave Random House, Crown’s parent company, its largest debut sales numbers of 2018.
The former first lady released Becoming on Tuesday (Nov. 13), along with a national book tour that kicked off in her hometown of Chicago. The book chronicles the Harvard Law School graduate’s lifelong “experiences that have shaped her,” from growing up in Chicago to her two terms as the first lady, and shares details about her marriage to President Barack Obama. The memoir is the first from the Obama family since the former POTUS ended his term in the White House in 2016.
“Writing BECOMING has been a deeply personal experience,” Mrs. Obama said in a statement earlier in the year. “It has allowed me, for the very first time, the space to honestly reflect on the unexpected trajectory of my life. In this book, I talk about my roots and how a little girl from the South Side of Chicago found her voice and developed the strength to use it to empower others. I hope my journey inspires readers to find the courage to become whoever they aspire to be.”
READ MORE: Michelle Obama Talks Trump, Details Miscarriage In New Memoir ‘Becoming’