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Michelle Obama shelves Paris, Berlin trips for Bush funeral
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Former US first lady Michelle Obama at the United State of Women Summit at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, on May 5, 2018. (AFP/Chris Delmas)
F
ormer US first lady Michelle Obama said Sunday she was canceling book tour visits to Paris and Berlin to attend the funeral of former president George H.W. Bush, who died Friday aged 94.
"It's important to me to join the Bush family in celebrating President George H.W. Bush's exemplary life," she tweeted.
"This will unfortunately preclude my visits to Paris and Berlin. I've been deeply touched by the enthusiasm for my memoir, and I'm working to reschedule my trip for next year."
It’s important to me to join the Bush family in celebrating President George H.W. Bush’s exemplary life. This will unfortunately preclude my visits to Paris and Berlin. I’ve been deeply touched by the enthusiasm for my memoir, and I’m working to reschedule my trip for next year.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) December 2, 2018
In a second message, she said she hoped readers and ticket holders would understand the decision "and join me in paying tribute" to Bush and "his tremendous contributions to our world."
I hope readers and ticket holders will understand my decision regarding my desire to attend President Bush’s funeral, and join me in paying tribute to him and his tremendous contributions to our world.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) December 2, 2018
Released on November 13, Obama's memoir, "Becoming," sold more than two million copies in North America in its first 15 days.
Read also: Michelle Obama's memoir sells two million copies in two weeks
The 54-year-old mother of two -- America's first African American first lady and wife of the first black US president -- is wildly popular at home and abroad, loved for her warm personality, intelligence and women's activism.
In the book she writes that she can "never forgive" Donald Trump for questioning her husband's US citizenship, accusing him and other "birthers" of putting her family at risk.
She also digs into personal issues, detailing a miscarriage, how she conceived daughters Malia, 20, and Sasha, 17, by in-vitro fertilization, and marriage counseling.
Being published in 31 languages, the memoir is also a bestseller in Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Korea, Finland, South Africa and Taiwan, among other countries.
