Published: 2022
Series: N/A
Author: Viola Davis
Illustrator: N/A
Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Book Club, Biography Memoir, Adult, Feminism, African American
Audience (Grade Levels): Adults / Grades 11-12
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐
Goodreads Link: Finding Me
Triggers: Domestic and sexual abuse, racism, bigoted language and violence, and substance use and addiction. Viola spends a significant portion of her childhood running, largely to escape from bullies who torment her for being Black.
Review By: Sarah Williams
Publisher’s Summary:
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.
Review:
I was drawn to this book because I saw Oprah Winfrey interview Viola. Their conversation was engaging and sparked my interest in the memoir I wish that I liked it as much as I liked listening to their conversation.
Parts that I liked: Davis is honest and forthcoming with many details. She was bullied as a kid, literally chased home from school every day, and faced many other difficult situations growing up. Even when she became an actress she faced discrimination. I appreciate that she shares these truths, as reading her story may help someone else. I enjoyed the part where she wrote about going to Julliard, as well as her realization that she had to heal the
Parts that I disliked: Some of the diction is vulgar and tough to read. When she is quoting someone else it makes sense, but at times I do not like how she so negatively writes about other situations. I also did not like the format of the text that is not fully chronological. The order of chapters did not make sense to me, and I found it hard to follow at times. I actually did not even read each chapter in order, but skipped around and read what interested me most at times. That seemed to help but I still was not compelled to read, often forcing myself to do so.
While Davis’s story is undeniably powerful and rooted in radical honesty, the book’s structural organization and uneven pacing detract from the overall reading experience. The non-linear progression can leave readers feeling detached, as the emotional momentum stalls between transitions. Additionally, the book’s cover—featuring a striking, intimate portrait of Davis—is highly artistic and eye-catching, easily drawing in adult readers and older mature teens looking for celebrity autobiographies. However, due to the intense structural flaws and heavy thematic delivery, I give this book a 2-star rating. While it holds value for specific readers interested in performing arts or specialized biography studies, I advise high school educators and school librarians to approach it with caution when considering it for general student independent reading or foundational collection development.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- Social Studies / African American History: Serves as a contemporary biographical connection for examining modern institutional racism, discrimination within the entertainment industry, and the lived experiences of Black women in late 20th-century America.
- ELA / Theatre Arts: Provides structural insights into the grueling nature of performing arts education (such as the Juilliard experience) and can be used to study character motivation, voice, and personal monologue development.
- Extension Activity / Library Application: Due to the mature content, vulgar language, and structural formatting, this title is strictly recommended as an optional selection for adult book clubs or advanced, mature grade 12 independent reading programs. As an extension library activity, students could view Davis’s media interviews (such as her conversation with Oprah Winfrey) and analyze how the tone, presentation, and clarity of a spoken interview compare to the written structural progression of her memoir.
- Diversity & Representation: Finding Me supports diversity, equity, and inclusion by offering a brutally honest, unfiltered lens into growing up Black in America. Davis explores intersectional identity, systemic poverty, colorism, and the immense obstacles faced by a Black woman navigating elite performing arts spaces, making it a raw piece of representation.
Readalikes:
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey
- I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
