Unapologetic, smart, raw and tender at once, Taraji P. Henson’s AROUND THE WAY GIRL is a fierce and finely wrought read. Perhaps you’ve never heard of her. You will. Maybe you’ve followed her from the early days, recognizing her from Baby Boy and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button --- you might never have guessed just how hard-won those roles were. If you, like me, love her brash, loving, hustling Cookie Lyon in “Empire” and were curious about the woman behind the character, her memoir will leave you thoroughly satisfied, and more absolutely enamored with Cookie than ever.

Let’s get it out there: Taraji P. Henson is so much more than Cookie Lyon. Remember her name, her real name --- Taraji. It means hope, and she’s exemplified hope put into action throughout the ups and downs of her life. Ms. Henson tells us how she worked, fought and earned her way to our screens through her tumultuous childhood, raising a black boy in America on her own, and struggling with the racism, respectability politics and misogyny of the industry. She is far more than Cookie, or any other character she’s ever played. Let’s get this out there, too: this does not mean that Cookie is any less deserving of respect and understanding, nor any woman like her. This is the balance Ms. Henson works excellently throughout her book. Through an unflinching, authentic narrative, she explores how she had to navigate being typecast in racist stereotypes, and how she worked to reclaim those characters, and bring out the authenticity and life in them.

"Ms. Henson is undeniably smart. This book is a well-put-together piece of art. It reverberates with her distinct voice, but reveals layers of pain, love and complexity that demand and encourage you to listen to what she has to say."

A young pregnant black prostitute --- one of Ms. Henson's early characters --- didn't just happen. She emerged out of and in response to her surroundings, and she is still a full person with hopes, dreams, wants and needs. She inhabits characters who have been neglected or degraded by popular media and, with her work, manifests the potential for understanding and empathy. Never pity, but an awareness of the fullness of their character. After reading this memoir, I'm all the more excited to see her star in the upcoming film Hidden Figures!

She never shies away from the rough edges of her seemingly polished life. She speaks about what it is to be the mother of a black boy in America today, about how the first instance of racism her son faced happened when he was in kindergarten. Her experiences as a woman, a black woman and a black single mother, have all informed how she approaches her career and which characters she chooses to play. Her voice is evocative and prescient as she captures this in her memoir.

Ms. Henson is undeniably smart. This book is a well-put-together piece of art. It reverberates with her distinct voice, but reveals layers of pain, love and complexity that demand and encourage you to listen to what she has to say. She weaves in photographs from her childhood throughout her career, a visual parallel to her narrative. Though the book is mostly linear, it does venture back and forth in time, following an emotional trajectory more than a literal one, and it works. We get a full picture not only of Ms. Henson, but of her mother, father, son and best friends. Her voice is melodic and mesmeric. She reads like she's your best friend, inviting you in to hear a great story or share a poignant truth, and you'll wish this capable inspiration of a woman was your best friend by the end.

The throughline of this book is Taraji P. Henson's perseverance. She came by nothing easy and makes it look effortless. She talks love, beauty, race, business, acting, motherhood, sisterhood and more. She speaks of finding community, holding up your best friends and your support group, and, ultimately, of working hard towards what fills your soul. AROUND THE WAY GIRL opens to reveal her heart and her ferocity at once: it's motivating and unquestionably beautiful.