Finding Me: a memoir

 

My Thoughts:

I do not have to have read this book to know that this is a fabulous book. I feel privileged to hear Viola Davis narrate her own story of abject poverty and hunger, struggle, anxiety, heart break and shame. This is a powerful, powerful memoir. I feel like I see her now, not as an actress, but as a real person. Why? Because I found myself sobbing as I was driving home. I found myself listening to her tell her story rather than call my husband as I navigated through after work traffic. 

I borrowed this audiobook from my local library and there was no waiting list. I feel blessed. Maybe other patrons have already heard it. Maybe I just got lucky, because when I went to return it early, there was already someone waiting.

This is the memoir of the year for me. There is no doubt. 

Honey don't try to label or define me, cuz I'm not w ho I was ten years ago or ten minutes ago. I'm all of that and then some. And whereas I can't live inside yesterday's pain, I can't live without it.

From the Publisher:

In my book, you will meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever.

This is my story, from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City, and beyond. This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn’t always see me.

As I wrote Finding Me, my eyes were open to the truth of how our stories are often not given close examination. We are forced to reinvent them to fit into a crazy, competitive, judgmental world. So I wrote this for anyone running through life untethered, desperate and clawing their way through murky memories, trying to get to some form of self-love. For anyone who needs reminding that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be . . . you.

Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise, and a love letter of sorts to self. My hope is that my story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you. 

Publication Information:

Author: Viola Davis

Narrated by: Viola Davis

Audiobook Publisher: Harper Audio (April 26, 2022)