I am a huge fan of Viola Davis' work and hearing her voice in the audiobook truly felt like hearing a friend tell her life story...but it also felt like a life story I've heard countless times already for it to have much of a profound effect on me. Maybe it was because I've listened to so many of Davis' interviews before. Maybe it was because hearing her tell her story in an overly descriptive manner felt like a performance in itself, speaking truth and yet slightly dramatized for effect. Still, even though I wasn't necessarily impressed by this memoir, I have to give it to Davis that she really let her true self shine through. She is an inspiring figure with a bittersweet past, an admirable strength, and incredible nuance to her humanity that she is not afraid to reveal to the world. These traits of hers are boldly evidenced by her acting work and simply revisited in this memoir. Perhaps my favorite thing about this book is it really shows how much we are shaped not just by the choices we make or the circumstances we endure but also by the people who surrounded us, all of whom have their own stories, their own brokenness and triumphs that we would do well to acknowledge.