Scan barcode
A review by amandasbookreview
We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True by Gabrielle Union
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
“That creates yet more work for the next woman up. That’s what can happen when we mentor and empower. That’s what happens when we realize that any joy we find in the next woman’s pain or struggle is just a reflection of our own pain: “See how hard this is? Do you appreciate how difficult this is?” Instead, I want to heal her and me.”
WE’RE GOING TO NEED MORE WINE
I have been wanting to read We’re Going To Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union for ages now. I grew up watching her on Sister, Sister, 7th Heaven, and of course, 10 Things I Hate About You. This is a collection of personal stories that discuss Gabrielle Union’s childhood, teenage years, discovering herself as a woman, love, marriage, being a stepmother, and how the industry treated her because she is a Black Woman.
Trigger Warnings: racism, gaslighting, microaggressions, rape, homophobia, infertility
Gabrielle Union tells it exactly how it is and she warns her readers from the get-go. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Her childhood stories ranged from relatable to WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! Of course, I loved the stories of her work–from the beginner mistakes she made to meeting Heath Ledger, all of them had me awe-ing or laughing. Of course, you can’t talk about Gabrielle Union without discussing her important work as a rape victims advocate. I think this story hit me the hardest. She worked for Payless Shoesource before she started acting. I also worked for Payless Shoesource while going through college. I was sitting there listening to her talk about the job and how it was easy but also how retail is the WORST. But that is when our similarities ended. A man robbed the store one night and raped her at gunpoint. My heart plummeted. Payless was not the greatest when it came to employee safety. I remember closing up at night and having no security, sometimes even the Target next door was closed, so we often worked in a very dark and secluded corner late at night. There would be only two employees working at closing. I am not going to lie, and my former coworkers will tell you, we all felt that moment of dread when someone would come in before closing acting shady. But what Gabrielle Union went through, is a woman’s worst nightmare. And she faced it head-on. She does write about the care she received during the trial process, but it does not take the horror, pain, and trauma away. She took that trauma and spoke on behalf of the victims, to be there for them. I ended this segment… in tears because as a survivor of sexual assault, it is so hard to be able to come forward.
Another powerful part of this memoir is the stories that go into detail about her owning her Blackness. This is a part where one just listens and learns. As a white woman, I cannot fathom and I listened to her self-consciousness, her battle with assimilation, and ultimately pride. These stories really focus on her growth and it is impossible to not be excited about her development and success.
I loved this audiobook and I can’t wait to read You Got Anything Stronger?!
Trigger Warnings: racism, gaslighting, microaggressions, rape, homophobia, infertility
Gabrielle Union tells it exactly how it is and she warns her readers from the get-go. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Her childhood stories ranged from relatable to WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! Of course, I loved the stories of her work–from the beginner mistakes she made to meeting Heath Ledger, all of them had me awe-ing or laughing. Of course, you can’t talk about Gabrielle Union without discussing her important work as a rape victims advocate. I think this story hit me the hardest. She worked for Payless Shoesource before she started acting. I also worked for Payless Shoesource while going through college. I was sitting there listening to her talk about the job and how it was easy but also how retail is the WORST. But that is when our similarities ended. A man robbed the store one night and raped her at gunpoint. My heart plummeted. Payless was not the greatest when it came to employee safety. I remember closing up at night and having no security, sometimes even the Target next door was closed, so we often worked in a very dark and secluded corner late at night. There would be only two employees working at closing. I am not going to lie, and my former coworkers will tell you, we all felt that moment of dread when someone would come in before closing acting shady. But what Gabrielle Union went through, is a woman’s worst nightmare. And she faced it head-on. She does write about the care she received during the trial process, but it does not take the horror, pain, and trauma away. She took that trauma and spoke on behalf of the victims, to be there for them. I ended this segment… in tears because as a survivor of sexual assault, it is so hard to be able to come forward.
Another powerful part of this memoir is the stories that go into detail about her owning her Blackness. This is a part where one just listens and learns. As a white woman, I cannot fathom and I listened to her self-consciousness, her battle with assimilation, and ultimately pride. These stories really focus on her growth and it is impossible to not be excited about her development and success.
I loved this audiobook and I can’t wait to read You Got Anything Stronger?!