Finding Me: The Grammy-winning memoir

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Ms. Knight is an exceptional and brave woman. The trauma that she has experienced both in Castro's 'house of horrors' and before her abduction are things that no one should ever have to go through. Her dedication and love for her son are commendable.

I can say so much about how our life events sorta overlap but this is her story so I will leave it there. Never once did I think that she was unpretty or undesirable… but what I will say ISSSS that NO ONE ON THIS PLANET SLINGS SNOT LIKE LADY VIOLA DAVISSSSSS!!! Just prepare to cry when she cries, smile when she smiles, level up when she’s on the screen bossing it up and such and such & this and that 😂. I know much of these facts - our 40 year old daughter is a steady working actor in Hollywood since childhood]….. I’ll be adding and doing a full review. Couldn’t wait to share because of the size of the vibe and importance to me. Maybe you as well.

I cried so many times listening to this. I connected to many parts of this book in many emotional and mental ways. I have tears in my eyes just thinking about how to do this book justice with a mere review.

This book flew by. Viola is an amazing storyteller and I bet she would be just as amazing writing fiction. I’ve honestly been avoiding reviewing this book since I finished reading it. I didn’t find the subject matter too heavy (at least for me) or find that it was poorly written. However, I did struggle to connect with the author and as a result to the events. The journey wasn’t an easy one- but my goodness was a ride it has been. Viola- I am so happy that you are full of self- love now- that you know how beautiful and talented you are, and I hope you know what an inspiration you are, as well.She bravely shares so much. She wants to connect and communicate to the reader what’s it’s like to come from poverty, to live in fear, to fight for your life. She wants you to understand that even winning this fight is not enough, because what matters most is coming to terms with all you’ve been through to experience true freedom. She encourages us to face what is to heal, and takes us through what she had to face. She believes in change, saw it with her own eyes in her father. She does not color rose over childhood glasses — she saw her daddy’s drunken beatings of her mom to within an inch of her life — yet, she can love the man he becomes without punishing him for his past. Michelle's life even before she was kidnapped was filled with hardship. She had to survive poverty, sexual abuse, and be a caretaker to her younger siblings while growing up. If you followed the case then you already know that the monster who did this killed himself not long after being sentenced to life on parole and pleading guilty. The fact that he killed himself rather than facing a life in jail, is really frustrating and makes me angry. But if Michelle can find forgiveness for him, then I find comfort in knowing that they are all alive and free. At the age of forty-seven Viola got one of her best known roles, playing Annalise Keating in the television series 'How to Get Away With Murder.' Annalise was described as a sexual, smart, vulnerable, possibly sociopathic, highly astute, criminal defense attorney. Viola writes, "The eight-year-old girl who had never been told 'You're worthy; you're beautiful' suddenly found herself as a leading lady, and a mouthpiece of all the women who looked like her." I cried reading about Viola's childhood and the way her trauma shaped her into the woman she is today. I cheered for her, had my heart burn with pride and joy learning she's finally getting the love and life she deserves. This has got to be my favorite read of the year. I loved Viola Davis before, but now I’m IN love with her. The immense respect and admiration I have for her is deep. The things she endured as a kid, teen, woman—period. I can honestly say that I’ve never experienced. I’ve never missed a meal for days. I’ve never had to lie in my own urine and go to school the next day reeking. I’ve never had to fight with huge rats over my bed & pillow. I’ve never witness my father beat my mom within an inch of her life and I’ve never experienced racism on the level that Viola has for being too dark. What she went through for being dark skinned, what her mom went through as a child..absolutely horrific.

Our bodies are not the 'spoils of war'… a trophy to be collected to fuel your ego. It's OURS!!! It doesn't belong to you!! And when you take it without permission, it DESTROYS…… like a virus!!!" Astonishing. After reading Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland, I was curious why the third victim featured in it so little, although all of the girls seem to be on good terms and wish each other well. In reading this, it's clear that the perpetrator's first victim had already suffered so much before she ever even got into the car with Ariel Castro (bitter poverty, abuse, homelessness, having her son taken by CPS), and that she was isolated from the other girls and treated very differently. It makes total sense to me that she chose to write her own story, and I hope that she and her son have the chance to connect sometime when he's older. HER authentic FEELING ALIVE moments (such as working on “Seven Guitars”….filming “”Fences….and that “Broadway” really is as grand as dreamed ….and the growth & gift to filming “How to Get Away With Murder” series …..respecting the real craft of artistry ….relationships….(no longer ashamed for who she is)…. The way in which I can relate to this memoir is astounding… I had no clue that I shared so many things with Miss. Vee!In 2001 Viola won a Tony Award for King Hedley II, and then the 2008 movie 'Doubt' marked her transition from stage actor to film/Hollywood actor. Viola writes a good deal about her subsequent successes and accolades, which include an Oscar for 'Fences' in 2016 and many other honors and awards. Viola prayed to meet a good man, and finally, on the set of 'City of Angels', she met Julius Tennon, whom she later married. Viola recalls, "As soon as he came into my life, my life got better because I created a family with him, with someone who loved me....I was no longer solely defined by the family that raised me and my childhood memories."