Review: We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories

We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories by Gabrielle Union
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an Advance Reader's copy of this book from Edelweiss and won a paperback copy in a Goodreads Giveaway.

Actress Gabrielle Union pulls no punches in this memoir filled with vignettes from her early life to present day. An outspoken activist for women's reproductive rights, against sexual assault, and against race and gender-related implicit bias, Union gives us a book that which is bold and speaks to the challenges of being a black woman, a black actor, and a black parent. Her searing honesty about her own sexual assault, her struggles with infertility, her fears for her stepsons are but some of the strong points in this memoir. For me, the most poignant aspects of her personal story lie in her lifelong need to prove herself. From avoiding the Black Pitfalls to having to drop the occasional Black Bombs on D Wade and her stepsons, her need (and good reason) to be heard is clear. Some may be troubled by the language and the no-holds-barred quality of this book. Nickie Union is not shy here. And she says many things that need to be said. I sincerely hope that she continues to write. In fact, someone give this woman a byline, please.

The episodic nature of the memoir and its occasional out-of-sequence time references were the only negative factors from this book for me. But she did say it was "stories" from her life!

Thank you, HarperCollins for my Giveaway prize. I'm buying Nickie's book and passing the one you sent me forward!

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