Viola Davis is a well-established, award-winning actress who is also the first black star to win the Triple Crown (Oscar, Emmy and Grammy). Her autobiography – ‘Finding Me‘, is what got her the Grammy award. I’d heard good things about it, and although I’m not one to read autobiographies of celebrities, I decided to give this one a go. Without further ado, here’s Viola Davis’ ‘Finding Me’ review.
Finding Me Review
The book starts with a recollection of her childhood. It’s full of painful and traumatic memories. I’m not exaggerating when I say my jaw dropped every few pages. And yet, despite all the trauma that Viola has been through, it’s the tone of grace and forgiveness with which she speaks of it that stunned me most. It’s hard to believe that someone could go through so much and find forgiveness and meaning in it all.
Trigger Warnings
I usually stay away from books that have stories of SA or other types of domestic abuse, because it’s quite triggering. This book had plenty of those stories. However, it gave me hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel no matter what you have gone through. I’ve read multiple books about forgiveness, and changing your mindset, I’ve studied passages in the Bible that speak about forgiveness. But, there was one quote in this book that really opened my eyes to what I was missing:
“But this is the journey! The only weapon I have to blast through it all is forgiveness. It’s giving up all hope of a different past”. That final sentence hit me. I’d been repeating to myself to let go of anger, and at the same breath saying I wish I never met the person who hurt me. Turns out forgiveness requires acceptance of what happened.
What I love about the book
This book was probably my favourite read of 2023. It was shamelessly vulnerable, honest, raw, beautifully written and real. What do I mean by shamelessly vulnerable? Some of the stories in this book – others would never admit to having gone through such experiences. Viola is unapologetic in the way she recounts her life and experiences. Above all, the story is inspiring. Viola came from nothing and achieved massive success. I don’t think my words can do this book justice, so here are a few of my favourite quotes.
Favourite Quotes from Viola Davis’ “Finding Me”
“That’s exactly how I describe my story. As a child, I felt my call was to become an actress. It wasn’t. It was bigger than that. It was bigger than my successes. Bigger than expectations from the world. It was way bigger than myself, way bigger than anything I could have ever imagined. It was a full embracing of what God made me to be.”
“If I created a fable of my life, a fantasy, I see myself finally meeting God, gushing, crying, thanking the Almighty for the accolades, a fabulous husband, beautiful daughter, my journey from nothing to Hollywood, awards, travel. 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”.”
“There is no out. Every painful memory, every mentor, every friend and foe, served as a chisel, a leap pad that has shaped “ME!”
Final Thoughts
While I’ve been a fan of Viola’s work since I first saw her in ‘How to Get Away with Murder’, I don’t think you have to know her work to love the book. It’s a story of overcoming, learning, grieving, discovering self-love and how that’s the ultimate success in life. I laughed, I cried and I was inspired. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.