You Have No Idea. Vanessa Williams new book…

So.  I really liked You Have No Idea by Vanessa Williams and her mother Helen Williams.  In fact, I enjoyed it so much that it arrived on a Monday at dinnertime and I finished it by 1am the following day!  As a biography it was an easy and a fun read.  As a memoir lover, I enjoyed watching her life as reality show.  As a nosy person, it was perfect…gossip via truth as opposed to an “insider” from U.S. Weekly.

Okay, y’all, I fully admit I expected something along the lines of the almost-industry-standard black memoirist: poverty, abuse and domestic violence set against the tumultuous 60’s, blah, blah, blah.  This isn’t too much of a spoiler: that storyline was NOT Vanessa’s life.

She’s had a great life: loving supportive parents, a great education, and an early interest in the great loves her of life: dance and acting with the skills to match it by age 10. She was crowned the first black Miss America for crying out loud.  We all know that living a charmed life isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be, right?

The book delves deeper into the events we’ve only read as sound bites: “Vanessa Williams nude on the cover of Penthouse!”  “Vanessa Williams loses her crown!” “Rick Fox divorces Vanessa Williams!”

And amidst the enjoyable retelling of how she got to where she is now, her mother adds insight throughout to where she came from.  Vanessa’s early penchant for getting into all sorts of trouble is quite humorous.

First thing I did after I was done with the book?  Start watching Ugly Betty via Netlix!  She’s just fantastically evil in the role of Wilhelmina Slater.  The “stare” inspired by the looks her Ma gave her growing up.

When I read a biography or memoir I’m hoping to be inspired.  With this book, I was.  My big takeaway:  own your dreams and the costs they come with, not just for you but also for those around you.  Never give up when things seem downright hopeless, work very hard to achieve your goals and if you don’t want any more children doggone it, use birth control!

This book would definitely make a lovely Mother’s Day gift for your booklover.

**This is a sponsored post from the Blogher Book Club, You Have No Idea campaign. Regardless, all opinions are my own dahling =) **