- The son of a black African father and a white American mother, Obama was only two years old when his father walked out on the family. Many years later, Obama receives a phone call from Nairobi: his father is dead. This sudden news inspires an emotional odyssey for Obama, determined to learn the truth of his father"s life and reconcile his divided inheritance. Written at the age of thirty-three, Dreams from My Father is an unforgettable read. It illuminates not only Obama"s journey, but also our universal desire to understand our history, and what makes us the people we are.