Finding Me
Viola Davis
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. more
304 pages, Hardcover
First published HarperOne
4.56
Rating
108788
Ratings
14467
Reviews
Viola Davis
9 books 815 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.Community reviews
This has got to be my favorite read of the year. I loved Viola Davis before, but now I’m IN love with her. The immense respect and admiration I have for her is deep. The things she endured as a kid, teen, woman—period. I can honestly say that I’ve never experienced. more
Viola Davis is one of the best actors of this generation and has won multiple awards in acting, like Oscar, Emmy, and Tony. She tells her extraordinary journey filled with poverty, love, hatred, racism, and achievements in her life in this book. What I learned from this book 1) What was the biggest discovery in Viola Davis's life. We have seen many people going into a shell and not peaking to their full potential if they have a major setback in their life. Viola Davis teaches us how to tackle a situation that she considers the biggest discovery in her life. more
Audiobook…read by Viola Davis ……9 hours and 15 minutes I hope everyone is enjoying a healthy happy Memorial Day weekend. Paul and I are. Sometimes we just want more time to bask in the experience of a magnificent book —- of an magnificent human being - a powerful Black Woman…. unbelievable stories… …. this ‘basking’ is one of those times. more
Finding Me by Viola Davis is a 2022 Harper One Publication. What an amazing memoir. Viola is one of my favorite actresses- but I knew very little about her private life. This book was a huge surprise to me. I was absolutely riveted to both the e-book and the audiobook. more
I have always thought Viola Davis is a wonderful actress but after having read this, I think she is a much better person than me - or at least a more forgiving one. The things she went through in her early life. I would be holding grudges forever if I were in her shoes. Viola does the narration for the audiobook, so I highly recommend listening to this one. . more
I thought that I loved Viola Davis before reading this book, but my goodness this book was exceptional in every single way and it made me appreciate her even more. CW: depictions of domestic violence, sexual assault, poverty (poor living condition, hunger, and more), death of loved onesFinding Me has been on my radar since it first released. One thing about memoirs is that I find them to best consumed via audio if narrated by the author. I absolutely love Davis' voice so I knew instantly that I would need a copy of the audiobook. Unfortunately, I shared the same idea with many people in my area so the wait list for this was quite long at my library. more
Que mulher maravilhosa ❤️Eu simplesmente devorei esse livro. . more
“May you live long enough to know why you were born. ” —Cherokee Birth BlessingTalk about pulling yourself up from your bootstraps. Viola has done her work. She bravely shares so much. She wants to connect and communicate to the reader what’s it’s like to come from poverty, to live in fear, to fight for your life. more
Like many people, I discovered Viola from her incredible work on How to Get Away With Murder and have been following her work ever since. So finding out she would be gifting us with a deep memoir of her childhood to her present day life was amazing. It’s always strange to rate non-fiction, especially memoirs, but Viola absolutely killed this. She’s a naturally talented writer and was able to transport me to every event she recalls. From the extreme poverty, the intense physical and sexual abuse, and all the way to Hollywood, Viola paints a perfect image to show you and let you understand her life. more
4+ stars. Raw. Honest. Gut wrenching. Shocking. more
The question still echoes, how did I claw my way out. There is no out. Every painful memory, every mentor, every friend and foe served as a chisel, a leap pad that has shaped “ME. ” The imperfect but blessed sculpture that is Viola is still growing and still being chiseled. My elixir. more
I knew I would love Viola Davis. Finding Me is a raw and honest memior about growing up in abject poverty with an abusive and alcoholic father. Surviving child sexual abuse/incest and coping with systemic racism to become an Oscar winning actress. Viola Davis has not had an easy life. Becoming an actress probably saved her life. more
I don’t watch much TV or film so I didn’t know a lot about Viola Davis before reading this memoir, however I still enjoyed Finding Me a lot. I loved Davis’s honesty about her childhood growing up in poverty and in an abusive household. She doesn’t hold back any details and reading about all the rats she lived with and the abuse she witnessed and experienced felt heartbreaking. I enjoyed too her journey of growing up and getting out of that household, to develop into the talented and amazing actress she is today. Throughout the memoir, she recounts specific scenes, conversations, and events so the book felt immersive rather than boring. more
Phenomenal memoir. Highly recommend. Viola Davis lived in abject poverty oftentimes without heat, clean clothing, clean bedding, and food. She was continually harassed and bullied. Throughout her life, she experienced what she calls the one-two punch of colorism and sexism. more
This is a 2022 Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Reading Guide selection. An honest, unflinching, and utterly brilliant account of how one of the best actors of our time became who she is today. Davis begins at the beginning: born on a South Carolina plantation (truly), she shortly moved with her mother and alcoholic father to Central Falls, Rhode Island, where she grew up in dire poverty. Her childhood was riddled with trauma: she shares devastating stories of enduring racism, constant hunger, rampant sexual assault by neighborhood men, and constantly reeking because her family couldn’t afford to do laundry. But when she saw Cecily Tyson on TV, she was inspired to take up acting, first succeeding in small sketches at school and later earning a college scholarship. more
9/23/22I had to update the picture from my previous review. This was before I knew about The Woman King. There is no better picture than Viola Davis is WARIORESS MODE. ________Audio - 5+++++ StarsHer Story - 5++++++ Raw, Honest, Courageous Stars. more
Viola Davis’s Finding Me stopped me dead in my tracks. “Who are you”, Will Smith inquires. Ms. Davis didn’t immediately understand the question. When Mr. more
When I heard last year that Viola Davis had a memoir coming out in April, I excitedly added Finding Me to my TBR list and also thought, I actually don't know that much about her but I do know I'm a huge fan — I loved How to Get Away With Murder. Viola shares her life story, from early childhood in true poverty in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to finding a love of acting and realizing that's what she wanted to do, to pursuing her dream and accepting herself. She is one of six children, grew up in a crowded home where her dad was abusive to her mom, and her and her siblings often went hungry and unclean. My heart broke listening to the stories Viola shared, including befriending kids who she knew would invite her over after school so that she would be fed at their houses. No child should have to think strategically like this in order to eat. more
Abandoned this book about half way through . I didn't like the format, but I appreciated Viola's narration. This memoir is like a conversation with Viola Davis, it doesn't have any real structure and I didn't feel like I learned anything inspiring. As far as a book for black women. It's not. more
I love Viola Davis. I love that she has always stood out as herself. She is unapologetically beautiful from her soul to her skin. She is brave when others would balk. She has bared her heart to the public to be an example and to let others know it is okay to be yourself, even if that is different from whatever B. more
This is one of my most anticipated reads, ever, because I’m such a big fan of Viola Davis, and it quickly became one of my favorite memoirs, ever. Viola is so incredibly raw and honest when sharing stories from her childhood, her journey into being an actress, and the lessons she learned along the way as a daughter, wife, mother, and artist. She highlights the brutal racism she had to deal with as a child, the abuse she faced from family members, what it was like to grow up in poverty, and her deep desire to make something more out of her life. Full of wisdom, love, and light, listening to Viola narrate her story elevates the experience of this book because she so expertly packs so much emotion into each sentence that was spoken. I’m honored to learn more about one of my heroes and am utterly in awe of her journey that was gorgeously written, honest, and unforgettable. more
There are some stories that move you. This was one of them. A true account from a great actress about navigating a life that has been challenging. But there was also love there, and Davis used that love to get to propel her forward. I felt hopeful for all of us. more
Really great memoir about Viola Davis’ journey from a child growing up in poverty to becoming an award winning actress. She is so honest and open about her journey that it was moving to read. She is funny and fierce and someone I like more now than before only knowing her as an actress. The writing was amazing and the story compelling. I think it’s always nice to see who public figures or stars are behind the image we create and this glimpse behind the image did not disappoint. more
Viola Davis, an American actress and producer, is one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (EGOT). Davis's memoir 'Finding Me' illustrates that the hard-won accolades resulted from determination, hard work, talent, luck, and encouragement from the occasional mentor. Viola DavisViola was born in South Carolina, the fifth of six children belonging to Dan and Mae Alice Davis. When Viola was very small, the Davis's and their three youngest children moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island, where Dan Davis worked as a horse groomer at racetracks. The older children were raised by their grandparents until Mae Alice could no longer stand to hear stories of them being beaten in school, and sent for them to come to Rhode Island. more
I’ve always admired Viola Davis as an actress. I mean, look at her. She’s formidable, passionate and can do any acting role that’s given to her. She’s a f’ing badass. After listening to Finding Me, I also love her as a person. more
BAY-BEEEHHH. STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND RUN, RUUUNNN TO THE BOOKSTORE AND BUY THIS BOOK, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. ITS A TOPS. 💚💚💚The way in which I can relate to this memoir is astounding… I had no clue that I shared so many things with Miss. Vee. more
such a devastating memoir, but also so incredibly beautiful and hopeful at the same time. i am (even more so now) in awe of viola davis’ strength, resilience, talent, determination, and candour. this was also my first audiobook, and i couldn’t have picked a better one to start with because viola’s performance was truly incredible. . more
Truly enjoyed listening to the audiobook, it pulled me out of my audiobook slump. It’s indeed a powerful memoir about accepting and acknowledging one true-self. Davis also doesn’t shy away from sharing her ugly childhood details. I’m so glad she became the woman that she is today. more
You have heard her name and seen her face: Viola Davis. In this riveting autobiography, we get to know Viola as she finds her truth, revisits childhood memories, and reflects on what made her the woman (and EGOT winner) she is today. The book is absolutely exceptional, Davis finds ways to make you cry and shows her readers the work and effort she has put into her success. Viola Davis is very open with her mental health journey and the therapy she has worked through to deal with past traumas. This autobiography is admirable and is a must-read. more
View this review on my booksta. “Taking off the wig in How to Get Away With Murder was my duty to honor black women by not showing any image that is palatable to the oppressor, to people who have tarnished, punished the image of black womanhood for so long. ” The quote above is a holistic emblem of the entire memoir. Viola is as unwavering with the recollection of her own pain and trauma as she is wholehearted with the reminiscence of her hope and healing. She narrates her truth as it is, without pomp or embellishment, in all its bare-faced and naked glory. more