Oprah Winfrey picks Viola Davis memoir for her book club

NEW YORK (AP) — Viola Davis’ latest honor is not for her acting, but for her writing. The Oscar winner’s upcoming memoir, “Finding Me,” is Oprah Winfrey’s new book club pick.

“Finding Me,” which comes out next Tuesday, traces Davis’ journey from what she has called a “crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island” to acclaim for her work on stage and screen. Her many prizes include a Tony for the 2010 Broadway production of August Wilson’s “Fences” and an Academy Award for the film adaptation of “Fences” that came out in 2016.

Within hours of Winfrey’s announcement, “Finding Me” was in the top 5 on the Amazon.com bestseller list.

“After I finished reading the first paragraph, I knew this was a book I wanted to share with the world,” Winfrey said in a statement Thursday. “I am in awe that Viola overcame all that she did to not only survive but become a role model for the world as a renowned actress, a mother, a wife and the woman that she is today.”

In a statement Thursday, Davis said she was “beyond honored” and thanked Winfrey for her support.

“The courage to share this story has been equal to my fear,” Davis said. “Your acknowledgement has been like a huge embrace. Thank you for championing me and for giving me a platform to share my truth to the world.”

Beginning Friday, Winfrey’s interview with Davis can be streamed on Netflix. Winfrey and Davis also will speak May 16 for an interactive book club gathering presented by OprahDaily.com, the online hub for Winfrey’s book club.

As with Winfrey’s previous pick, Martha Beck’s “The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self,” Thursday’s announcement makes no reference to the Apple partnership Winfrey launched in September 2019 with Ta-Nehisi Coates’ novel “The Water Dancer.” A Winfrey spokesperson said that Winfrey is currently in production with Apple on a documentary about the late Sidney Poitier, whose memoir “The Measure of a Man” was a book club pick in 2007.

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