Davis's life story is a harrowing one. She grew up, a dark skinned Black person, in utter poverty, surrounded by violence and addiction. Through talent and hard work she uplifted herself one August Wilson play or film adaptation at a time until she really hit it with How to Get Away with Murder. One of my favorite parts of her HTGAWM success is that it was Davis who agreed to the role, only if Annalise took off her wig in season one. She wanted to ensure that the writers would know how to make the character complex. It was also she who wrote in Annalise's backstory that she was born Anna Mae.

I listed to the audiobook, read by Davis. tbh I think her acting and her narration are a bit overwrought, but still highly worth reading or listening to.