Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Finding Me: A Memoir, by Viola Davis

14 reviews

coreyarch9's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

"Every January, we had our Martin Luther King celebration, a variety show [...] it was our rebellion. We were told it would ruin our instrument. Well, our soul was our instrument, too."

I love Annalise MF Keating, but I didn't know too much about Viola Davis. In Finding Me, Viola talks less about her career as an actress and more about the systemic poverty and racism and the coinciding internalized struggles that she had to overcome to be the woman we know today. And she doesn't hold anything back.

She talks a lot about what society deems beautiful, worthy, or correct. During her time at Juiliard, students were discouraged from hosting an MLK Day program or anything that might highlight their differences from their white counterparts. She talks about the typecast roles that she would be cast in or invited to audition for. She talks about what it was like to be called beautiful for the first time. She talks about therapy. 

In the end, she talks about finding herself, writing, "I am no longer ashamed of me."

I will never know firsthand what it's like to experience the abject poverty and racism that Viola grew up with. And that's why it's so important to read about. When she talked about being called beautiful for the first time, I started to wonder, when was the last time I told somebody they were pretty? When was the last time I told a woman of color that she was beautiful? When was the last time I supported a black-owned café instead of just picking up a latte at my local Tim Hortons? When did I last show kindness to a stranger?

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mecmccann's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

This book was everything I needed and more. When she said “The purpose of life is to live it” agghhhhhh I needed that 

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mariasilva's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

5.0


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seullywillikers's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I've always admired Ms. Davis as an actor, and this memoir is the catalyst for falling in love with her as a person. Raw, honest, brutal, and beautiful, listening to Ms. Davis tell her story without flinching, pulling punches, or apology, has been an incredible experience. Her compassion and empathy are without compare, and her focus on seeing the humanity in all people is a testament to her strength and inner goddess.

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leonormsousa's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0


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kcelena's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring relaxing sad tense medium-paced

5.0


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doomluz's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

The audiobook is narrated by Viola Davis herself. I love her acting and this emphasizes how powerful her voice is. I love her insights on her difficult life and career. A raw and honest read.

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entropydoc's review

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0


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rheagoveas's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0


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stoleyourfoodinthelibrary's review

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emotional inspiring fast-paced

5.0


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