It took only two weeks for Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming to top the 2018 book charts. Its publisher, Penguin Random House, announced on Nov. 30 that the book sold more than 2 million copies across the US and Canada in the 15 days since its launch on Nov. 13. The number includes all formats, including e-book and audiobook.
That means it has sold more copies than any other book published in the US and Canada in the entire year of 2018, Random House said, citing NPD Bookscan, a publishing industry data service.
Becoming tops nonfiction bestseller lists not only in the US, but also in a number of other countries around the world, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Norway, and is being published in 31 languages.
Events on Obama’s book tour are also selling out, Random House said. In New York, people were waiting more than 16 hours in the cold for a book signing.
The book gives unprecedented insight into Obama’s life after a decade in the global spotlight. In it, she talks about her marriage, race, career, family, and various associated struggles. She also lays into Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, her memoir surpassed in sales the loudest book account of the Trump presidency, Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury, despite the latter’s 11-month head start.