We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True

Gabrielle Union

Oct 2017 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work

Named a Best Book of the Year by The Root

Chosen by Emma Straub as a Best New Celebrity Memoir

“A book of essays as raw and honest as anyone has ever produced.” — Lena Dunham, Lenny Letter

In the spirit of Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, Lena Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl, and Roxane Gay's Bad Feminist, a powerful collection of essays about gender, sexuality, race, beauty, Hollywood, and what it means to be a modern woman.

One month before the release of the highly anticipated film The Birth of a Nation, actress Gabrielle Union shook the world with a vulnerable and impassioned editorial in which she urged our society to have compassion for victims of sexual violence. In the wake of rape allegations made against director and actor Nate Parker, Union—a forty-four-year-old actress who launched her career with roles in iconic ’90s movies—instantly became the insightful, outspoken actress that Hollywood has been desperately awaiting. With honesty and heartbreaking wisdom, she revealed her own trauma as a victim of sexual assault: "It is for you that I am speaking. This is real. We are real."

In this moving collection of thought provoking essays infused with her unique wisdom and deep humor, Union uses that same fearlessness to tell astonishingly personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism, and fame. Union tackles a range of experiences, including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. Throughout, she compels us to be ethical and empathetic, and reminds us of the importance of confidence, self-awareness, and the power of sharing truth, laughter, and support.

Ratings and reviews

Excellent!!!! The first half of the book made me question Unions moral compass but when taking a step back in realizing the book is written from the perspective of a 45 year old woman reflecting. But the 2nd half where she dug into what it meant to be black in Hollywood or even a woman of color in a professional environment I was fully on board and engaged. Union's word's speak to the sentiment and totality of my personal experience as well as many of my friends who are women of color. We are not from the hood or ghetto but educated middle-middle class women who, like Gabrielle mentioned in the first half, came from middle-middle class families reaching for upper middle class. Although our parents worked hard to give us the future they envisioned we were still fascinated by the mainstream portrayal of the black experience and had our own versions of Union's Omaha experience. Normal people, nay, normal women fighting to be know the right things, say and do the right things and make it all look effortless and doing it all without scaring the white people because then all bets are off (as we know all to well.) The book was deeply personal and yet offered such objective takes on most every topic that it felt universal in large part. This allowed me to see myself as the one the narrative was about because in so many ways it truly reflected my experience. Maybe not in a literal sense, I've never been treated in a condescending manner by the producer of Friends, but I have been told to be more articulate, or clear, or concise by a 60 year old white woman who happened to be my supervisor, ignore my existence unless she was giving a backhanded compliment to me while praising my the blondeness of my coworkers' hair or the blueness of her eyes. So yeah Union's perspective on inherent bias truly hit home for me. As well as her segment on rape ... me too. More importantly the way she's always poised herself in the media limiting access with Beyonce level precision while still being open in her own way and bold about fighting for her rights (#BeingMaryJane) while attacking the brokenness of the system and not necessarily looking to just destroy the perpetrator of the racist or patriarchal system. In short, it was a great read. :-)

Gabrielle is one of the greatest faces on our TV screens, having to read her life stories is inspiring. I've been waiting for a very long time to read her book or at least watch her reality show one day and now that she's got a book, greater things are about to happen. It's a must and great read. Simplicity and transparency are my themes of the book. Great job Nickie

From laughter to tears! Love the honesty and the energy, but above all this the courage to stand up and hustle back after being a sexual assault's victim and experiencing racism in Hollywood! Inspiring , fun! The perfect book to relax, after a long day of work!

About the author

Gabrielle Union is an actress, executive producer, activist, best-selling author and most recently, a Time100 cover honoree. Union formed her production shingle “I’ll Have Another” in 2018 with the goal of telling stories that center marginalized communities with their specific point of views in an authentic manner. In August of 2020, she relaunched her haircare brand “Flawless by Gabrielle Union” for women with textured hair. The new and improved collection includes an array of options, affordably priced between $4 - $10, that empowers consumers to customize a regimen specific to their texture and style preferences. Prior to relaunching Flawless, Union learned of the disparities in the food space and joined Bitsy's as a cofounder with the goal of making healthy, allergen- friendly, school-safe snacks that are accessible and affordable for all families regardless of their socioeconomic or geographical status. Her first book, We’re Going To Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated and True, was released in 2017 and instantly became a New York Times best seller. Union serves as a leader and advocate for inclusion in the entertainment industry. She is also a champion of breast health and combating sexual violence.