We’re Going to Need More Wine Book Review— by Khadijah Sulaiman
This book, We’re Going To Need More Wine is a candid memoir by the actress and activist, Gabrielle Union. The exhilarating book talks about amusing and heart-breaking experiences that Gabrielle or ‘Nickie’ as she’s called by friends and family had, after the Unions moved from Omaha, Nebraska, to Pleasanton, California and consequently everything after that. Every chapter focuses on a different theme, each fascinating, funny, heart-breaking, and all quite compelling.
She talked about how hard it was living and going to school in an all-white neighbourhood, with very few coloured kids. She desperately tried to fit in, tried to be appreciated, tried to reduce her ‘blackness,’ by doing all she could to act like the ‘white kids’. And then when all that was working, she’d visit her extended family in Nebraska and she’d be too white for them; making her embrace her ‘blackness,’ again.
She however focuses mostly on complexion in relation to sexism and racism, she talks about her experiences professionally and personally.
We darker girls should not be pitted against our lighter skinned sisters, but, our pain of being passed over shouldn't be dismissed by people saying “Love the skin you’re in.”
She talked about being sexually assaulted at the age of 19 and how it affected her in a lot of ways. She hardly left home for a whole year after she happened and also mentioned how she couldn't sit with her back to restaurant door years after.
I especially appreciate her candour. She was plain and bared out her soul, admitting when she made mistakes and when she hurt people in her journey to self-growth and actualization. She’s also very cool and gossipy. She also made mention of a celebrity and how he often threw awesome parties. I appreciate her references and quotes from James Baldwin, Carrie Fisher, Du Bois, and their works.
The chapters were like separate essays which were woven or interconnected, in a beautiful pattern.
There is a scene in which she describes her sexual assault, which might be offensive to some readers. She also doesn't filter her words so she uses a bunch of curse words.
The book would have been more enjoyable for me however if it had stronger characters, and not fleeting introductions and appearances here and there. For example, more background stories about her Omaha friends. The book was also a bit weak when it came to particular chapter endings. I would read some chapters and just feel a tad bit disappointed by how abruptly it ended with not enough details.
Overall however, reading the memoirs of a famous actress like Gabrielle Union was mind blowing and a total eye opener. It talks about marriage, decision making, self-love or self-acceptance and surviving traumatic events. As you flip through the pages, you see her slowly but surely developing and falling in love with herself, not getting lost with people-pleasing. I have gained more insight on the life of black American women and how they encounter sexism, racism and disrespect. It’s an amazing story this beautiful woman has written and I have to say, definitely wine worthy.
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