It isn’t often you find a memoir that checks all the boxes—deeply moving, poignant, bold, & entertaining. However, in the case of Cicely Tyson’s “Just as I Am”, she left it all on the pages and anyone who reads her story will not walk away disappointed.
The subject: What a phenomenal woman! Cicely Tyson was so very intriguing. She seemed, from her own description, to be one of those rare individuals that a person meets and is instantly drawn to them—a magnetism that can’t be described. She was witty, yet shy in a mysterious sort of way which was probably due to her upbringing. In her book, she shares several stories about what she calls her “third eye” which is her ability to know things beforehand or sense when something is amiss through signs and dreams. I was sucked in from the start upon reading this revelation in the first few pages.
Her story: Worthy of its own biopic complete with a star-studded cast, directed by Ava Duvernay herself. From childhood until the day she took her last breath, Cicely tells of her tragedies, trials and everything in between.
A native of the West Indies who grew up poor in a home where her mother was abused by her father, she was an introvert. Her strict and pharisaic mother only further perpetuated her state, disallowing dating or even the mention of anything related to sex in their home. Consequently, a naïve and awkward Cicely learns her way through trial and error resulting in her becoming pregnant by the age of 16. Broke, but unbroken, she is determined to carve out the best possible life for her daughter at whatever the cost. She begins working multiple jobs around the clock to provide for her daughter when one day she inadvertently stumbles into a modeling gig. As a means to send her daughter to a better school in upstate New York, she begins modeling while continuing clerical work and is soon connected with a movie producer. At first, she is reluctant to take the part in the movie she’s offered, but as God ordained it, so it was. A revelation from that “third eye” changed the trajectory of her entire life.
The lessons: How often does one’s life touch and teach so many? Through her mistakes, trials, and victories in love, family, and in her career, she teaches us how to navigate life with grace and guts. Facing giants like discrimination, racism, sexism, and abuse, she never allowed herself to stoop to the low standards of others. Instead, she used these hindrances as fuel, making her, even more, determined to defy the odds and pave a better way for future generations.
This is an outstanding read for anyone who enjoys a great story with never a dull moment. If you read only one memoir in 2021, make it this one. You will not be disappointed.