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In a world that often tells women how to live, these three memoirs remind us that we have the power to reclaim our voices, shape our stories, and stand fully in our truth. Finding Me by Viola Davis, You Could Make This Place Beautifulby Maggie Smith, and Untamed by Glennon Doyle are more than just books—they’re blueprints for what it means to live honestly, boldly, and beautifully.

1. Finding Me by Viola Davis

“I’m no longer ashamed of me. I own everything that has ever happened to me. The parts that were a source of shame are actually my warrior fuel.”

Viola Davis's Finding Me is raw, powerful, and necessary. It’s a memoir that doesn’t shy away from the trauma of poverty, abuse, and racism—but instead leans into those stories to illuminate strength, grit, and resilience. Davis walks us through her childhood in Rhode Island, her journey through Juilliard, and the often lonely road to becoming an award-winning actor.

What stands out most is her vulnerability. She doesn’t just give us the victories—she gives us the pain, the survival, and the deep healing that came afterward. If you’ve ever felt unseen, Finding Me will meet you there and hold your hand forward.

2. You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith

“How I picture it: We are all nesting dolls, carrying the earlier iterations of ourselves inside. We carry the past inside us. We take ourselves—all of our selves—wherever we go.”

Poet Maggie Smith turns the personal into the poetic in this memoir that reflects on divorce, identity, motherhood, and the complicated terrain of starting over. True to her poetic roots, Smith weaves together fragments, essays, and moments to create something that feels as much like a healing ritual as it does a book.

What makes this memoir unforgettable is how Smith reclaims her own narrative. It’s not just about the end of her marriage—it’s about what happens when a woman stops shrinking and starts blooming. This one is for anyone who’s ever had to rebuild from brokenness.

3. Untamed by Glennon Doyle

"She trusted her own voice more than she trusted the voices of others. Brave is not asking the crowd what is brave. Brave is deciding for oneself."

If Untamed is anything, it’s a permission slip. Glennon Doyle invites us to let go of what we were told we “should” be and start asking who we truly are. With chapters that read like journal entries, Doyle shares her journey through addiction, faith, divorce, queerness, and falling in love with soccer star Abby Wambach.

This memoir is fiery, feminist, and deeply affirming. It dares us to imagine what life could look like if we listened to our inner knowing instead of the noise. You’ll come away from Untamed ready to burn the rules that no longer serve you—and write your own.

Have you read any of these books? What memoir by a woman writer changed your life?

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