Reviews

Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis

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jasquid's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense

4.0

This is the 2nd memoir I've ever read in my 20 some years alive, with the first being Born A Crime by Trevor Noah.

I found it incredibly meaningful to hear Viola Davis' story told from her own voice, so I'm glad I chose the audiobook edition. When she quotes her relatives and loved ones, it's extra impactful to hear her mimicking their tone, their speech rhythm and I felt extremely lucky to be able to get these things in particular, from an EGOT artist. Notably, her Grammy was for the audiobook recording of this very novel.

My only point deduction was because at points, I found the prose too repetitive, although still meaningful. To add emphasis, she would often say the same thing in 3 ways to add emphasis and more nuance, but personally this pattern tired for me after 4hrs of it.

Otherwise, this memoir was retty incredible. It's not limited to being an autobiography for Davis. It also exposes and dives into the difficulty and intrinsic connection between blackness and poverty. The "1, 2 punch" as Davis describes it. It explores the importance and the pain of school as a haven for less-having children and also a place for them to face discrimination and bullying. It explores and explains all the connected events that ties to the heavy shame of poverty with anecdotes from Davis' own life.

The memoir also highlights the importance of family, the importance of self-discovery and healing, and to a lesser extent, the importance of one's faith.

I found her critical examination of Julliard as a school and its western bias in the world of arts particularly great.

However, it also served as an extremely moving autobiography.
The chapter

where her father passed away

made me extremely emotional. Then,

when she was at the mortuary with her mom, signing papers, noting that her 8yo crybaby self was now doing this it really struck me how wonderfully Davis took readers through the chapters and phases of her life as this growth really struck me and I felt like I understood it.

This memoir was not only an extremely moving, candid capture of Davis' life, struggles and successes, it also critically many issues in society, in the film industry, in arts educations and the importance of self-understanding and growth.

wilson1104's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

orchid_2023's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

gtbacola's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.0

gurneetdh7's review against another edition

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5.0

Very inspiring and eye opening book. Talks about Viola's childhood and living in extreme poverty, to finding her lifes purpose of acting and the struggles and hardships of being a black actress. Talks about family relationships.