Description Now in paperback, this young adult adaptation of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir offers an intimate look at Barack Obama's youth and self-discovery, which led him to a life of purpose and service. This compelling journey traces the 44th president's odyssey through family, race, and identity. A revealing portrait of a young Black man asking questions about himself and where he belongs--long before he became one of the most important voices in America. This unique edition includes an introduction from the author, a full-color photo insert, and a family tree. In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a Black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a Black American. When Barack Obama learns that his father--a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man--has been killed in a car accident, the sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey. The journey begins in a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother's family to Hawaii, and then moves to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father's life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance.