Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Around the Way Girl by Taraji P. Henson - Wait list

Around the Way Girl

A Memoir

by Taraji P. Henson
Denene Millner
ebook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 6 weeks
Place a hold Read a sample Read a sample
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 6 weeks
From Taraji P. Henson, Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe winner, and star of the award-winning film Hidden Figures and the 2023 film The Color Purple, comes an inspiring and funny memoir—"a bona fide hit" (Essence)—about family, friends, the hustle required to make it in Hollywood, and the joy of living your own truth.
With a sensibility that recalls her beloved screen characters, including Katherine, the NASA mathematician, Yvette, Queenie, Shug, and the iconic Cookie from Empire, Taraji P. Henson writes of her family, the one she was born into and the one she created. She shares stories of her father, a Vietnam vet who was bowed but never broken by life's challenges, and of her mother who survived violence both at home and on DC's volatile streets. Here, too, she opens up about her experiences as a single mother, a journey some saw as a burden but which she saw as a gift.

Around the Way Girl is also a classic actor's memoir in which Taraji reflects on the world-class instruction she received at Howard University and how she chipped away, with one small role after another, at Hollywood's resistance to give women, particularly women of color, meaty significant roles. With laugh-out-loud humor and candor, she shares the challenges and disappointments of the actor's journey and shows us that behind the red carpet moments, she is ever authentic. She is at heart just a girl in pursuit of her dreams in this "inspiring account of overcoming adversity and a quest for self-discovery, written with vitality and enthusiasm" (Shelf Awareness).

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 11, 2016

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781501126017
      • File size: 38082 KB

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781501126017
      • File size: 38427 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      October 15, 2016

      Best known for her roles as Yvette in John Singleton's Baby Boy and Cookie Lyons in Fox TV's Empire, actress Henson is the archetype of the brusque, misunderstood girlfriend/wife with a "heart of gold." Born and raised in Washington, DC, Henson shares many commonalities with the characters she portrays. However, to assume that this is the only source of inspiration is a surface-level approach akin to the typecasting that she has battled throughout her career. As much a manual on acting as it is a memoir, Henson's account candidly tells of her humble and sometimes harsh "growing pains" as a child of a single mother (and later a single mother herself) and the journey to becoming an award-winning actress. Written in an accessible style, it's an engaging read that feels like a conversation with an inspiring friend. Whether discussing her relationships with her family, her method for "becoming" her characters, or the challenges of being a black woman in "the industry," Henson's book provides plenty of inspiration for readers. VERDICT Recommended for fans and aspiring actors alike.--Tamela Chambers, Chicago Pub. Schs., IL

      Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading