Viola Davis’ autobiography Finding Me topped the best-sellers lists for months.

The book’s success comes from Davis’ unflinching depiction of her childhood: rats running under her bed and up on her pillow, nights spent listening to her father beat her mother, coming home from school to find her mother’s blood on the front steps…

Many obstacles stood between that little girl in Rhode Island and her dreams, but the story of how she faced those problems and fought for her Oscar-winning career is inspiring.

This tough read is empowering, especially to children of addicts or people who continually face discrimination.