Kerry Washington’s memoir is a candid journey through her life, where she opens up about her upbringing and the challenges she faced due to family secrets. While much of the book focuses on her childhood, her adult years receive less focus. Despite this, it’s fascinating to learn about how she honed her craft and chooses her projects. 

This memoir is amazing. Kerry Washington does not shy away from trauma and then healing. I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about this one. 

I was SHOCKED when I found out that Kerry Washington was coming out with a memoir. Outside of being known as a talented actress, an activist and producer, I knew that she was EXTREMELY private. 

After reading the first paragraph of the book, it makes so much sense of why she’s made the decisions that she has. 

In reading her memoir, I was able to hear her story in her own words. In hearing her share about the way she approached each character she played through anthropological methods and immersion into their lifestyles, it is clear that she takes pleasure in the process of diving deep into the work.  

This was such a revelatory experience. There were so many things that Kerry had to overcome that I dealt and deal with personally. Growing up wanting to be perfect, living a duplicitous lifestyle to maintain the facade, and feeling like you need to be put on facade while neglecting the process of learning who I am. 

I was NOT expecting this at all. I knew that Kerry and I had literally one thing in common: having a Jamaican mother. (It’s was cool finding out her maternal grandparents are from St Elizabeth like mine are!) 

As I always feel when I read a memoir, I am appreciative that she took the time to share such personal struggles and triumphs in her life. Whether you are a fan of Kerry’s work or not, I recommend this one! 

I picked this up upon learning that Kerry Washington, like me, learned as an adult that she was donor-conceived. It is a memoir that is not about that and completely focused on it—what is helpful to another writer is how she reflects on and illustrates a rippling sense of unease and tension she has felt throughout her life but never understood. The construction and choices she makes are informative and helpful in understanding craft choices, though I feel a super fan of her acting would appreciate the in between a lot more.