Book Description
for Finding Me by Viola Davis
From the Publisher
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, an Oprah’s Book Club pick, 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 and overcoming trauma, 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, a candid Black actress memoir, 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.
Finding Me is the story of my journey, but it is also an invitation to own your own past with radical honesty:
- A Raw and Unflinching Memoir: Forget the polished celebrity memoir. This is a story told with the radical honesty of a woman who ran from her past—from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls to the stages of Hollywood.
- Finding Your Voice: A powerful account of what it takes to be seen and heard in a world that tries to label you, and the courage required to finally stop running and speak your truth.
- From Trauma to Triumph: Follow the path of a little girl who clawed her way through murky memories of poverty, racism, and abuse to discover her life’s purpose and inspire millions.
- A Story of Self-Love: For anyone who feels untethered, this is a love letter to self—a reminder that a life worth living is born from the courage to shed facades and finally, fully be you.

