While on a drive in Los Angeles, Kerry Washington received a text message that would send her on a life-changing journey of self-discovery. In an instant, her very identity was torn apart, with everything she thought she knew about herself thrown into question. In her memoir, Washington gives readers an intimate view into both her public and private worlds, chronicling her upbringing and life’s journey. She reveals how she faced a series of challenges and setbacks, effectively hid childhood traumas, met extraordinary mentors, managed to grow her career, and crossed the threshold into stardom and political advocacy, ultimately discovering her truest self and a deeper sense of belonging.

Libby came through with an available now copy of this, and I’m glad because the audiobook was on hold for 20+ weeks! I always love when the author narrates their memoir, as it feels like a very personal conversation. Kerry Washington was a great narrator, and I love to hear her story in her own words. Washington has always been a woman that I have admired both as an actress and an activist, but I did not know much about her life before reading this. She really jumped into her childhood, traumas, mental health struggles, and family drama. The way she overcame those hurdles shaped her into the person that she has become, and I loved her introspection and resilience. Sometimes the narrative jumped around a little bit, and was not told chronologically, which is not the usual structure, in which I have read are written. This was a little distracting for me at first. Overall, this was a great audiobook and I would definitely recommend it.