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caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition
5.0
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.
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
kathrynshields's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, and Physical abuse
leefox's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Vomit, Pregnancy, Infertility, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Dementia, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Grief, Abortion, Racism, Cancer, Addiction, Animal death, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
joslynhebda's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Bullying, and Racial slurs
Minor: Abortion, Addiction, and Infertility
marwamg's review against another edition
4.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Bullying
nataliebootlah's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Bullying, and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Misogyny
Minor: Child death and Abortion
wibookbadger's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Racism
darlingmoira's review against another edition
4.5
I have so much respect for her and her drive. I would love to just sit with her and continue to hear her life’s stories. She deserves all the praise she is getting and I hope she realizes the power she has brought to women (especially black women) by telling her story.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Addiction, Racism, Sexual assault, Blood, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Pedophilia
dazzlingreader_'s review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, and Bullying
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, and Abortion
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
bettymer91's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Mental illness
Moderate: Miscarriage, Blood, and Infertility