Review by Booklist Review
This modest, thoughtful memoir by Uzo Aduba, the actress best known for her portrayal of Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren on Netflix's Orange Is the New Black, is not your average celebrity memoir. It pays less attention to her successes than to her family, cultural heritage, Christian faith, and particularly her strong relationship with her mother, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2020. Making use of the journals she has kept since childhood, Aduba recalls growing up in a family of five kids in one of the only Black families in a Boston suburb, with a social-worker mom and accountant dad; traveling to Nigeria to meet her grandmother just before she died; spending years paying her dues as a young actress (and waitress) in New York; falling in love with filmmaker Robert Sweeting; getting the opportunity to introduce her mother to President Obama; and taking care of her mother during her last years. Reflective and infused with gratitude, the memoir is as much about the conflicts and comforts of growing up Nigerian American as about those of becoming a working actor.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this powerful autobiography, Orange Is the New Black actor Aduba traces her path from Medfield, Mass., to Hollywood, paying particular attention to her relationship with her Nigerian immigrant mother, Nonyem. Growing up in a close-knit Igbo family in the 1980s and '90s--in one of suburban Medfield's few Black households--Aduba spent Sunday afternoons watching movies and late nights striving for academic excellence. "My American Dream is for you people to be able to live your dream," Nonyem often told Aduba and her four siblings (two of whom were born to a different father than Aduba's, though Nonyem raised her children with "no half brothers or step anything"). For Aduba, that dream manifested in a modestly successful stage career in New York and California before she landed the role of Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren on Orange Is the New Black, which won her two Emmys. Throughout her career, including her stint on FX's historical drama Mrs. America as Shirley Chisholm, Aduba drew on the determination her mother modeled. In 2019, she returned to Massachusetts to care for Nonyem, who was dying of pancreatic cancer. With wit, insight, and heart, Aduba constructs a captivating self-portrait that doubles as an ode to her remarkable mother. Even readers unfamiliar with Aduba's acting work will be spellbound. Agent: Albert Lee, UTA. (Sept.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
In this moving memoir, three-time Emmy Award winner Aduba reflects on her experiences as a Nigerian American daughter of immigrants and as a Black actor who challenges stereotypes in the entertainment industry. Best known for her role as the character Crazy Eyes on Orange Is the New Black, Aduba here alternates between her own story and the experiences of her parents, especially her mother, Nonyem, whose death from pancreatic cancer in 2020 led to a tidal wave of grief. Nonyem's inner life is revealed through her journals--the lifelong diarist passed this habit on to Aduba--which show how through war, domestic strife, and personal hardships, she remained a pillar of strength, a source of beauty, and a fount of intelligence. VERDICT Poignant and well-written, this memoir not only celebrates the achievements and talents of its author but also grounds readers in the customs of Nigeria. It is a must-have for fans of Aduba or Orange Is the New Black and for those wanting to read about the African diaspora.--Amy Shaw
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The Emmy-winning actress remembers her childhood, her beloved mother, and more. Aduba, whose Igbo first name translates as "the road is good," grew up in a family of five in an almost all-white Boston suburb, and one of the most enjoyable parts of her memoir is her evocation of the camaraderie among her siblings and close-knit relatives, including the colorful gatherings and parties they had during her childhood. Her adolescence was marked by loneliness and bullying, but as her standout vocal and acting talents emerged, key mentors helped her find her way. The description of her days in New York as an aspiring actress is satisfyingly detailed, as is the story of her landing the part of Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren on the Netflix seriesOrange Is the New Black. Since she doesn't tell the reader what the show is even about other than to say it is "a story about mass incarceration," perhaps she is assuming that her audience is well acquainted with its premise and the particulars of her character, but if that's the case, those readers would likely be interested in further detail and additional anecdotes. Instead, the subject comes up late in the book and is given only a few pages. Somewhat more satisfying is her description of playing Shirley Chisholm in FX'sMrs. America. Though a great deal of hard work went into writing this memoir, it sometimes feels unfocused, and it could have benefited from some culling and shaping by a professional writer. (Where's J.R. Moehringer when you need him?) The description of her mother's life and death are the most dramatic and interesting parts, but they are not well integrated into the overall structure. Fans will enjoy this generous account of life as a Nigerian American daughter, sister, and actress. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
