<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br><P>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.<P>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.<P>At once epic, provocative, and inspiring, American Tapestry is more than a true family saga; it is an illuminating mirror in which we may all see ourselves.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p>A remarkable history of First Lady Michelle Obama's mixed ancestry, <em>American Tapestry</em> by Rachel L. Swarns is nothing less than a breathtaking and expansive portrait of America itself.</p><p>In this extraordinary feat of genealogical research--in the tradition of <em>The Hemmingses of Monticello </em>and <em>Slaves in the Family</em>--author Swarns, a respected Washington-based reporter for the <em>New York Times</em>, 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.</p><p>At once epic, provocative, and inspiring, <em>American Tapestry</em> is more than a true family saga; it is an illuminating mirror in which we may all see ourselves.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> From the Back Cover </b></p></br></br><p>Michelle Obama's family saga is a remarkable, quintessentially American story--a journey from slavery to the White House in five generations. In this prodigiously researched epic, <em>New York Times</em> correspondent Rachel L. Swarns traces that complex and fascinating tale--from the men who fought in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, to the mothers and fathers who endured the horrors of slavery and the indignities of segregation to build a better future for their children--uncovering details about Mrs. Obama's black, white, and multiracial forebears that even the First Lady herself did not know. </p><p>Though an intimate family history, <em>American Tapestry</em> is also the collective chronicle of our changing nation, a beautifully rendered and singularly inspiring story with resonance for us all. </p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>"A completely fascinating look at the complex ancestry of one family, African Americans, and all Americans."--<em>Booklist </em><strong>(starred review)</strong><br><br>"[A] layered, scrupulously researched, and wrenching chronicle."--<em>Publishers Weekly</em><br><br>"[A] meticulous, detailed investigation into Mrs. Obama's family tree. . . . American Tapestry holds rewards."--<em>Denver Post</em><br><br>"An engrossing book. . . . Swarns outlines the fascinating journeys taken by various ancestors of First Lady Michelle Obama--the people who, across the generations, helped make her who she is today."--<em>Library Journal</em><br><br>"Richly detailed. . . . A lushly layered portrait of the nation itself. . . .Swarns weaves a narrative in which massive social changes (slavery, Reconstruction, the Great Migration) and the microscopic details of DNA play equally important roles."--<em>Boston Globe</em><br><br>"Riveting. . . . A microcosm of this country's story. . . . The real-life saga of struggle, survival, triumph and tragedy serves as an uplifting companion to Alex Haley's <i>Roots</i>."--<em>USA Today</em><br><br>"Swarns has unearthed and disseminated crucial American history here. . . . A remarkable, only-in-America story that Swarns tells with care and thoughtfulness. . . . Her passion for the story is clear and striking. . . . This book is a worthy and significant endeavor."--<em>Washington Post</em><br><br>"Tremendously moving. . . . Swarns provides numerous tales of heartbreak and achievement, many of which essentially make up the American story."--<em>Kirkus Reviews</em><br><br>"Extraordinary. . . . A fascinating account of the First Lady's family. . . . No political [book] has ever looked like this one."--<em>New York Times Book Review</em><br><br>"Swarns paints a vivid, intriguing portrait of people whose struggles, losses, and triumphs speak volumes about the pull of family and the power of American endurance."--<em>Los Angeles Times</em><br><br>"A grand, important book that shows how American bloodlines are rarely wholly black or purely white, neither one race nor another. Nowhere is that more true than in <i>American Tapestry, </i> an eloquent history of the First Lady's family."--James McBride, author of the <i>New York Times</i> bestseller <i>The Color of Water</i><br><br>"Illuminating. . . . Unforgettable in its sweep and movingly told, <i>American Tapestry</i> has the power to reshape our understanding of the phrase 'descended from slaves.'"--Janny Scott, author of <i>A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother</i><br><br>"In this tour de force of biological sleuthing, Rachel L. Swarns explodes simplistic notions of life and love in the Old South.. . . . Swarns has bestowed upon all Americans a revelatory understanding of our shared racial heritage."--Fergus M. Bordewich, author of <i>Bound for Canaan</i><br><br>"Rachel Swarns has not only excavated, with painstaking care, the family tree that is Michelle Obama's, but, with great insight and beautiful prose, has revealed the complex, eye-opening, and disconcerting experiences that are America. This is a work of impressive historical imagination and deep cultural significance."--Steven Hahn, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of <i>A Nation under Our Feet</i><br><br>"The First Family becomes ever more fascinating--and ever more representative of the nation as a whole--in Rachel Swarns's terrific investigation into the roots of Michelle Obama. . . . This is a most compelling read and more evidence for our interconnectedness as a people."--Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University professor and host and executive producer of PBS's <i>Finding Your Roots</i><br><br>"A meticulously researched and eloquently written real-life detective story."--Essence<br><br>"Swarns discovers an interesting world that not only helps to define the First Lady's personal background but is also an essential piece of the fabric that makes up America's roots. . . . A great glimpse into America's multicultural foundations."--Upscale Magazine<br>