Michelle Obama continues to shed wisdom with the world through her memoir Becoming, released Nov. 13. The 400-page novel revolves around her life in and out of the limelight. It is told through the moments that have shaped her to be the woman she is today, whether that be as a result of her triumphs or her setbacks.

Having sold over 750,000 copies the first day, and rated a 4.4 on Goodreads, Obama’s work continues to touch the lives of millions. Her deeply personal accounts allow readers to gain a new perspective on one of the most influential women of the 21st century.

The image she portrays of herself is not the one we wish to see, but it is the one she wishes for us to see. If there is anything we know for sure about the former U.S. First Lady, it is that no one has the power to change her mind, not even her famous husband.

As established in her novel, “There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others.”

Obama will use her voice however she sees fit, and that is what brought the change the world so desperately needed to see.

After a series of interviews and articles leading up to the release of her book, the one that stuck out the most was that of TIME magazine. Used as her closing line, staff writer Angie Thomas wrote, “Becoming is a balm that America needs, from a woman America does not yet deserve.” Thomas did so for she did not wish for Obama to give the people any more than she already had. The public made their choice and it went against all that she stood for. That being said, Obama still has hope; she still believes in the power humanity has to change and accept, starting with herself.

“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim,” Obama states in her memoir. “I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” Although her journey as First Lady in the White House came to an end, her role as First Lady in our hearts never will.