Blogher Book Review- You Have No Idea

When I was younger, I associated Vanessa Williams with easy listening radio and occasional TV appearances.  Then awhile ago I heard about her Miss America scandal and how that has really haunted her throughout her life.  With her new memoir,"You Have No Idea", which she co-wrote with her mother, Helen Williams, Vanessa Williams strives to set the record straight and let people in on all the details right from the source.  

She doesn't hold any punches and she tells how she blatantly defied what her parents had taught her (and what her mother expressly told her not to do) and posed for photos in the nude.  The photos came out right after she had been crowned Miss America, which also made her the the first African American Miss America. She could have let the scandal beat her and hid in shame, but she had amazing support from her family and an inner drive that wouldn't let her slink off, and never be heard from again.  She persevered and created a career that she could be very proud of.

  

I really enjoyed that the book went back into Vanessa's childhood and let her mom tell her side of the story as well.  It was interesting to see the differing perspectives of parent and child. I also admired that there is no sugar coating in this book.  Whether it is talking about adolescent struggles between mothers and daughters, abortion or losing her father, this book tells it like it is and doesn't shy away from the hard topics.  And like many people, Vanessa doesn't regret the things that have happened in her life, because they have led her to where she is today, and she is truly happy about that.  

Check out more about the book here.
I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own.