We are going to need more wine-book review

The lady showing off her book.

We are going to need more wine is a memoir.It's Gabrielle Union's memoir and she bares it all.The book as she says in the introduction is akin to sitting with her at dinner as she tells you about her life.It's a revelation of sorts,through reading the book you feel like you know her and some of her deepest secrets. The book is a series of essays/chapters and each chapter covers different things ranging from the dangers of being black in America,beauty standards,being a woman and the many struggles that come with that,being a black actress and the stereotypes that mostly see her and other black actresses getting certain roles,Prince(the late singer),her marriages/relationships and other really personal stories.Some of the chapters I couldn't finish quickly enough because they bored me!! and some of the chapters I enjoyed reading.The chapters I loved the most are: black woman blues,grown-ass-woman blues and a tale of two martinezes.

In this book of revelations, I have learnt so much about her that I feel if I met her, I would know her as herself and not as Mary Jane Paul .In the spirit of no spoilers and keeping it short and sweet these are some of the things I have learnt about her.

She went to an all white school and wanted to fit in so bad

Her parents wanted a better life for them(her and her sister) and they therefore went to an all white school and lived in predominantly white neighbourhoods.This came with it's challenges as at one point she was the only black girl in her school and had teenage problems, in that she wanted white boys to like her and as I realise now it is taboo for white boys to love black girls.She did some really out of character things to win this affection and ended up making her worst enemy through high school boy drama.

She was raped!

'Group therapy is the only place I could feel 'not crazy'. I was around other young people with the same stresses I have,the same fears and triggers.You know that feeling you get when somebody first rubs your feet? It's like a jolt through you whole body,then an instant exhale.Each time we met I exhaled.Because when you've been raped,you really feel like you are on an island.Rape is the most underreported crime there is. And it's shrouded in secrecy and shame.'

She was raped just before she started college.She worked in a store and a thief raped her.This thief robbed the store she was working in at the time and instead of walking away with his loot decided to do the despicable.This as expected has caused her lots of pain and anxiety even into her adult life.

Her first marriage was real bad.

'Have you ever had a dream where you're in a car and you're heading right for a wall? You're trying to hit the brakes,but you speed closer and closer to your doom? Well, you are cordially invited to my first wedding.'

Gabrielle Union has had a lot of bad relationships!!! who knew, even beautiful rich actresses are scared of being single and would do anything to be either married or in a serious relationship.Her first marriage was so bad that despite her paying for everything and even giving her then husband money to set-up an office and run his business, he cheated on her.

She lost her best friend to cancer

'I returned to Sook and again asked her what she wanted her legacy to be.What message she wanted me to carry on.'I want you to tell people that fear can kill you', Sook said.'I was afraid and it killed me.'

Gabrielle Union's friend died from cancer.Fear held her from visiting a hospital to get a diagnosis when she felt a lump in her breast because she feared that it might be cancer.When she finally went to a hospital, it was stage 4 cancer and the doctors could not do anything to save her 😢😢.

She has a female cousin called Kenyatta

'We'( me,myself and I) have this joke on how naming of kids has become so dramatic these days and how new parents try to out do each other in getting unique names for their kids.Apparently this didn't start the other day.Gabrielle Union has a female cousin called Kenyatta (Yes,FEMALE). I wonder what she says when she explains the meaning of her name to people,when they ask where she gets her name from.

She has insecurities!

'You are really pretty for a dark-skinned girl: Through God all things are possible,and it's even possible that He sometimes makes dark-skinned women who aren't ugly.Somehow, some way, I escaped the curse of my melanin and Afrocentric features to become a credit to my skin tone.'

From this book I learnt that being a black dark-skinned woman in Hollywood is a BAD thing as it's really difficult to get good roles irrespective of how good you are as an actress.Light skin is considered beautiful and people who are 'fortunate' to have it are considered the lucky ones 😂😂,this is the truth even here,that's why skin bleaching is so rampant,especially among young females. Also black people living in rich neighbourhoods are viewed as suspect.This one time because she lives in white rich neighbourhoods and had to go to the gym,she decided to wear expensive mittens(rich people problems) as she walked to the gym so as to ensure nobody mistakes her for anything else.

She met her current husband through Prince.

Prince, when he was alive,organised these parties,invite only parties,where he invited the top cream in the entertainment industry,black entertainers.In one of these parties she met Dwayne Wade's brothers,In the same party she met him and talked to him for the first time(I think) and the rest as they say is history

Being Mary Jane-Season 1 Episode 1-because of this book I have officially joined the Being Mary Jane bandwagon

If you are a fan of hers or just want to know about colourism, racism, Hollywood struggles,a lot of woman related struggles, just muchene on her life or you have time to kill, you should definitely read it.

Truth be told I am done reading memoirs and autobiographies of celebrities because I now find it pointless.This year my goal is to learn from what I read, hello!! self-help books and books by women in leadership.