We're Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Length: 7:48:00
Published: October 2017

In my continued quest to listen to more audiobooks, I downloaded Gabrielle Union's We're Going to Need More Wine. I first heard about her book when she appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. I was intrigued by much of what she said and figured I'd give her book a go. Plus, how can you not love that title?! 

So, I'll start with the obvious. Gabrielle Union wrote and narrated the book. Because she's a fairly prolific actress, it was no surprise that she acted out her words very well. I found the book to be formatted like a collection of essays where Union shared very vulnerable parts of her life with her audience. Her stories gave me greater insight to her as a person, not just a celebrity. She struggles with many of the same issues that non-celebrity women struggle with. It was refreshing to learn how she's gained so much strength from her survival. Growing up in an area that lacked diversity, she didn't have the best childhood. Her dad wasn't the best person. She was violently raped as a teenager. And she was a party to a tumultuous divorce as an adult. I related to many of her experiences, and found myself liking her more after I finished the read than before. I haven't followed Union's acting career closely. I've never seen an episode of Being Mary Jane. But that didn't stop me from understanding her biographical timeline and appreciating her story.

My harshest critique of this book is the language. There was much cursing, vulgarities, and sexually-explicit scenes. To be fair, she does offer a language disclaimer/warning at the beginning of the book. However, I still wasn't prepared for how pervasive it was ... and I'd already purchased the book. I also didn't like how she kind of used her friend's legacy as a trope to finish the book. It sounded rushed and like she was looking for an out rather than a natural conclusion. 

Recommendation: Gabrielle is funny, insightful, and she curses ... a lot. I think the book is worth a read or a listen. There were certain things she shared about her life as an African American woman that gave me pause and caused me to think about it long after I'd finished listening to her reading of the book. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.