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tatlovesbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
mimimilaa's review against another edition
I don't rate memoirs or most non fiction in general, but I really think you should read this.
looking4alexis's review against another edition
4.0
the amount of times i cried.... jesus. i always new viola davis was a strong woman but this just makes her THEEE strongest woman.
also age ain't nothing but a number and i'm excited to see what i can accomplish by the time i reach her age.
also age ain't nothing but a number and i'm excited to see what i can accomplish by the time i reach her age.
emmy_readz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I am morally opposed to rating memoirs/autobiographies because it seems strange to rate someone's life. But when I pulled over to sob in a parking lot for 10 minutes while listening to the audiobook, I knew I had to rate it. Viola Davis has been one of my favorite actors as long as I can remember, but now I am obsessed. This book should be required reading. For who you ask? Anyone with a heartbeat. She is such a resilient woman when she shouldn't have had to be resilient. She encapsulates humility, kindness, and empathy.
missyjohnson's review against another edition
4.0
audiobook. read by Ms. Davis. I am so happy that she narrated as we are able to hear the correct pronunciations of names and proper inflections as to descriptions. That gave so much authenticity to the memoir. I find in interesting that we (general public) make determinations about people based on the silliest and too often ill intentioned things. The things that Ms. Davis had to overcome in her life were huge. There were so many times that just a single gesture or help could have made a difference for her entire family. I was happy to hear of the folks who did actually see them and did what they could. It is just sad that it seems that just one more bit of effort could have been enough to tip the scale. I was glad that Ms. Davis was able to persevere and maintain her determination to succeed and get herself out of poverty. I hate that we as a society continue to put unrealistic characteristics as to what the ideal or perfection is. This is so shallow and we miss so much of what makes for an interesting and colorful world when we sift down to the least bit. Hopefully this story of a woman breaking out of that mold and being her authentic self even if it does fit the mass produced one will become the norm. I am sure that Ms. Davis must have suffered from being cold for too long in her life because that is a common theme when she describes places in the north that she is filming. I also liked hearing how "normally human" many of the other actors that she has worked with are. They are doing a job, that to do well, requires a lot of work and preparation. then they are reduced to being looked at as rich, privileged and arrogant or other stuff just because we do not know them and make judgements unfairly. I know want to make an effort to watch some of the films that she has been in.
caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
5.0
What a powerful memoir! But warning, it's also full of traumatic events that happened to Viola Davis as a child and they are not easy to read.
I listened to the audio. There's a reason why this memoir won an Audie Award and a Grammy for narration. When she's reading the parts of her parents, she leans into the acting chops that won her a Tony, and Emmy and an Oscar. Her voice is strong. SHE is strong. When Viola discusses her interactions with other Broadway and Hollywood greats, it doesn't sound like she's name dropping. Viola is too authentic to be fake, and even though she might not have loved/believed in herself as a younger woman, her talent has always been so great that it's made clear that she's not just famous, she's a brilliant actor.
To me, what made this memoir strong is the fact that Viola has been to therapy, and it shows. She doesn't just trauma dump. She discusses her childhood and young adulthood with the eye, and heart, of someone who's walked through hell, and survived. But she does it with love for that little girl that suffered so much to get to where she is now.
I listened to the audio. There's a reason why this memoir won an Audie Award and a Grammy for narration. When she's reading the parts of her parents, she leans into the acting chops that won her a Tony, and Emmy and an Oscar. Her voice is strong. SHE is strong. When Viola discusses her interactions with other Broadway and Hollywood greats, it doesn't sound like she's name dropping. Viola is too authentic to be fake, and even though she might not have loved/believed in herself as a younger woman, her talent has always been so great that it's made clear that she's not just famous, she's a brilliant actor.
To me, what made this memoir strong is the fact that Viola has been to therapy, and it shows. She doesn't just trauma dump. She discusses her childhood and young adulthood with the eye, and heart, of someone who's walked through hell, and survived. But she does it with love for that little girl that suffered so much to get to where she is now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Abortion, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Animal death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Pedophilia
aesw's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
kdmiddlebrooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5