President Obama's Half Brother Lands Book Deal

Posted on June 16, 2009

Another member of the Obama family has just landed a book deal. George Obama, President Obama's half brother has landed a book deal with Simon and Schuster to write a memoir. George Obama lives in Huruma, Kenya is 27 years old and shares the same father with the president, although they never met as children. The book will be published in January 2010.

George is the youngest of the senior Obama's seven children and was born six months before his father died. Little is known about George Obama. The book, tentatively titled "Homeland" and to be written with author-journalist Damien Lewis, will tell of George Obama's fall into crime and poverty as a teenager and his eventual embrace of community organizing � a passion shared by the president � and of advocacy for the poor, an identification so strong that he chooses to live among them.

"Even had George Obama not been our President's half brother, his story is moving and inspirational," David Rosenthal, Simon & Schuster publisher and executive vice president, said in a statement Sunday. "It is an object lesson in survival, selflessness and courage." Financial terms were not disclosed, but an official with knowledge of the negotiations said the deal was worth six figures. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the contract, spoke on condition of anonymity.

President Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng is writing a book, as is Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama's brother.


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