Janny Scott, author of “A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mother,” spoke yesterday at U. Virginia about her book and the life experiences of Stanley Ann Dunham, mother of President Obama.

Before beginning research for the book, Scott worked in the journalism industry for more than 30 years. Scott said the idea for the book came while she was working for The New York Times and writing a biographical series about Obama, who was a presidential candidate and U.S. senator at the time. One piece in the series focused on Obama’s mother.

“The response to that piece was extraordinary,” Scott said. “People felt stunned, and felt like they understood him in a way they hadn’t.”

Scott believes Dunham, who died in 1995, was often reduced to simple stereotypes in the media. She argued that such a cursory oversight of Dunham’s dynamic life “obscure[s] a much more complex and fascinating story.”

Speaking to the crowd of about 100 U. Virginia students and local residents, Scott continued to explain the story of Dunham’s life. After a rocky start to her educational career, Dunham dedicated the majority of her adult life to anthropological research, spending time in both Indonesia and in the United States with her family.

Scott said by looking at “some of the more prominent moments” in Dunham and Obama’s life, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of the president.

“One of the most interesting things about Ann Dunham’s family was the place of education,” Scott said. “It was an expectation in that family that you would pursue your education as far as possible.”

After speaking more about the mother-son relationship, Dunham’s multifaceted life and its impacts on Obama, Scott answered questions from the audience.

Fouad Fadil, a Fluvanna County resident and self-proclaimed “Miller Center junkie,” attended the event and said he found Scott’s talk extremely interesting and informative.

“I always come to the events,” Fadil said. “I think this event was excellent. There’s a lot of things that were clarified about Mr. Obama and his mother.”