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Around the Way Girl

A Memoir

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Around the Way Girl

By: Taraji P. Henson, Denene Millner
Narrated by: Taraji P. Henson
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About this listen

 2017 Audie Award Finalist for Autobiography/Memoir

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). Cultural & Regional Entertainment & Celebrities Women Celebrity Memoir Funny Heartfelt Witty Biography Single Parent
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I absolutely loved this booked so authentic and real!! As soon as it finished wanted more and more chapters.

Amazing amazing amazing

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what an amazing insight into the industry and a truthful story with inspiring messages and themes. thank you for sharing this with the world !

life changing

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Taraji P. Henson's memoir? Yeah, that's my one exception to the whole celebrity memoir thing. I loved that she narrated it herself - made it way more fun. Normal speed is the way to go, by the way. She's got some crazy storytelling chops, taking us on a journey through her highs and lows, from movie magic to personal struggles. And can we talk about how she tackles some serious topics? Equal pay, meeting her heroes, and rocking that natural hair - it's all covered. Honestly, it's amazing. I was totally absorbed in this memoir and Taraji's narration was the icing on the cake.

Taraji's narration

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.