"Much-anticipated, emotionally-charged debut memoir from award-winning actor and icon Viola Davis"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • A HARPERS BAZAAR BEST BOOK OF 2022 • A PARADE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK • A MARIE CLAIRE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK

“It’s clear from the first page that Davis is going to serve a more intimate, unpolished account than is typical of the average (often ghost-written) celebrity memoir; Finding Me reads like Davis is sitting you down for a one-on-one conversation about her life, warts and all.”—USA Today

“[A] fulfilling narrative of struggle and success….Her gorgeous storytelling will inspire anyone wishing to shed old labels.”—Los Angeles Times

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.

Booklist Reviews

Davis is the first African American actress to achieve an Academy Award, an Emmy, and two Tony Awards, the "triple crown of acting." Still, few know the paths she took to overcome a complicated past and find purpose in her life. Finding Me is a reflective memoir about her childhood and college years in Central Falls, Rhode Island, studying at Juilliard, and her early acting years in New York City. Davis closely examines how she dealt with poverty, domestic abuse, molestation, and racism throughout her early years. As a teenager, acting became a vehicle that helped her release childhood trauma. Yet, because she experienced so much pain, she could not understand self-love, nor could she ever feel worthy of any of her accomplishments. Still, she did thrive, due to her close bond with her family, especially her sisters, along with tremendous support from educators, acting coaches, and friends. Davis gives readers hope, encouraging us to look back and embrace childhood dreams or failures, let go of shame, and move forward to become the best version of ourselves. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Davis' legions of fans will be eager to read and talk about her candid, challenging, and inspiring memoir. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.