Finding Me: The Best Memoir I've Ever Read
You probably recognize the name, or at least the face, of Viola Davis as a movie star and television genius. You may have even read a bit about her personal story or seen her recent Netflix special interview with Oprah. But you probably wouldn’t have immediately put her in your mind’s author or writer boxes. Or at least I didn’t. And then I got my hands on a copy of Viola Davis’s memoir Finding Me.
First, I read the hardback version (the family photos make it especially beautiful) and found myself reading it late into the night again and again, utterly lost in her story. Then, I listened to her read the audio version and felt like I was reading a whole new book. It was an experience. It was genius. . . .
It
was
phenomenal.
Her story touches so many of my softest, most tender spots. It covers so many of my own sticking points.
Poverty & marginalization along with abuse & neglect & suffering
Redemption & love of family regardless of what we’ve been through together
The power of big dreams & how depression comes when we feel powerless to step into them (& leaves when we do it anyway)
Hope in the form of big sisters, caring adults, and people who choose to see us
The importance of human resiliency, hard work, mentors, scholarships, therapists, and good luck
Finding Me by Viola Davis is the best memoir I’ve ever read.
It speaks hope into my darkest corners and whispers life toward my biggest dreams.
It lifts my chin and helps me face the parts of me that tend to hide from painful things.
It makes my heart swell and my mouth fill with the words:
I want to listen.
I want to know.
I want to see.
I want to try to understand.
I want to get up from where I’ve been sitting and stand on the right side of history.
It makes the big dreamer inside of me feel like I could run a thousand miles.
I hope it does the same for you.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from Finding Me by Viola Davis:
On page 29 —
“That fight marked the beginning of my shift. Looking back on that night when I stood up to my dad and wiped up my mom’s blood, I knew my life would be a fight. And I realized this: I had it in me.”
On page 48 —
“At 128, the fires simply got more frequent. The rats multiplied. . . Still, in the midst of the life sh*tstorm, there was one teeny, tiny light. A guide. A whisper. A voice. That one question from my Dianne. ‘What do you want to be?’”
On page 117 —
“If I created a fable of my life, a fantasy, I see myself finally meeting God, gushing, crying, thanking the Almighty. . . I can clearly see the Lord’s face, staring at me, taking me in and saying, ‘You never thanked me for creating you as YOU.’”
On page 225 —
“My biggest discovery was that you can literally re-create your life. You can redefine it.”
On the final page —
"The question still echoes, how did I claw my way out? There is no way out. Every painful memory, every mentor, every friend and foe served as a chisel, a leap pad that has shaped ‘ME!’ . . . My elixir? I’m no longer ashamed of me.”
What others say about Finding Me:
"It's clear from the first page that Davis is going to serve a more intimate, unpolished account than is typical of the average (often ghost-written) celebrity memoir; Finding Me reads like Davis is sitting you down for a one-on-one conversation about her life, warts and all." -- USA Today
"This book is a testament to resilience, hard work, and the power of owning your truth." -- Real Simple
"[A] fulfilling narrative of struggle and success. . . . Her gorgeous storytelling will inspire anyone wishing to shed old labels." -- Los Angeles Times
"Davis gives readers hope, encouraging us to look back and embrace childhood dreams or failures, let go of shame, and move forward to become the best version of ourselves." -- Booklist
"Brimming with love, heartbreak, and hard-won wisdom." -- Bustle
"Raw in its anger, shocking in its frankness, often downright vulgar--and wonderfully alive with Davis' passion poured into every page." -- Associated Press
With everything inside of me today and everything I know right now, I fully, completely, wholeheartedly, 100% endorse this book, this woman, and her story. I think every single word—even the swear words, especially the swear words—is necessary.
Finding Me by Viola Davis is the most authentic story I’ve ever laid eyes (and ears) on.
It is, without hesitation, the best memoir I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot of memoirs—I love them). For as long as I live, I hope I never forget the way this book made me feel. I hope I always remember how deeply I got lost in its pages.
I hope you’ll lose yourself a little bit in its pages, too. And then find yourself again, recreate her, redefine her. Because the story you’re living right now, the story you’ve lived so far, and the story you’ll write with your life matter, too. I hope every dream inside of you lights up and grows even bigger as you read Viola’s story.
& as an extra tip, here’s the book my little in-person library book club read just before this one that, in my opinion, made Viola’s story even more powerful of a read: Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, & Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliott. I think they pair really well together.