Thicker than Water: A Memoir

Award-winning actor, director, producer, and activist Kerry Washington shares the deeply moving journey of her life so far, and the "beautiful" story of discovering her truth in this instant New York Times bestseller (Oprah Winfrey).

While on a drive in Los Angeles, on a seemingly average afternoon, Kerry Washington received a text message that would send her on a life-changing journey of self-discovery. In an instant, her very identity was torn apart, with everything she thought she knew about herself thrown into question.

In Thicker than Water, Washington gives readers an intimate view into both her public and private worlds--as a mother, daughter, wife, artist, advocate, and trailblazer. Chronicling her upbringing and life's journey thus far, she reveals how she faced a series of challenges and setbacks, effectively hid childhood traumas, met extraordinary mentors, managed to grow her career, and crossed the threshold into stardom and political advocacy, ultimately discovering her truest self and, with it, a deeper sense of belonging.

Throughout this profoundly moving and beautifully written memoir, Washington attempts to answer the questions so many have struggled with: Who am I? What is my truest and most authentic self? How do I find a deeper sense of connection and belonging? With grace and honesty, she inspires readers to search for--and find--themselves.

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Published Sep 26, 2023

320 pages

Average rating: 7.23

79 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

ljzsreadsandreviews
Jun 07, 2025
6/10 stars
I love Kerry Washington, particularly Scandal Kerry, so hearing her story told in her voice was beautiful. It always amazes me to learn about the lives of these stars we admire and I am alway grateful to hear their stories. Memoirs are sort of tough for me to review though because they’re so personal and in these sorts of cases, I feel a review is more reflective of the writing than the actual story. I found Kerry’s story very intriguing, what I didn’t love was how it was structured. Everything felt rushed and all over the place. I understood the desire to structure the events in an emotional way but I didn’t feel like it really worked and I would’ve preferred it to be a bit more chronological. I also felt it just.. ended, and I was left feeling like the book was unfinished.
Anonymous
Dec 11, 2024
4/10 stars
It felt rushed. Kerry let us peek in but never fully opened the door. She briefly spoke on one topic then it was on to the next. She speaks about her obsession with privacy and the book shows.

The storytelling wasn’t cohesive. She jumped around in timelines and most felt incomplete.
AmiHayesinaBook
Dec 03, 2024
7/10 stars
The story of family, healing, secrets, pain and laughter. Started slow and "rehearsed" but by the end I was intrigued and enjoyed hearing her story. Kerry is a strong, complicated, beautiful, smart woman with a story worth reading.
fionaian
Sep 30, 2024
10/10 stars
I personally enjoyed this memoir in all its entirety. I don’t agree with the 3 star reviews at all. Kerry is a natural story teller. She is a gifted writer. The memoir felt like a novel! She actually gave thought and insight to setting each scene and moment and feeling. I didn’t read spoilers ahead of time so I didn’t know that she was birthed by her biological mom and a sperm donor. I initially thought she was adopted based on the cliffhanger in the first chapter. I also don’t think it was a missed opportunity for her to not dive into certain parts of her life—she doesn’t need to share everything in detail! I even like her more after reading this memoir—highly recommend!
hideTurtle
Aug 15, 2024
7/10 stars
We join Kerry as she moves from her humble beginnings as a girl from the Bronx who loved to swim through her definant adolescence, her exploratory years in college, into adulthood. She shares the origins of her talent for performing, her discomfort and sense that something was holding her at a distance from her parents, and her unwavering love for her mother and father in the face of the shocking revelation that she was not biologically related to her father. Everything is F(UCKED UP)I(NSECURE)N(EUROTIC)E(MOTIONAL). But in the end, it's all going to be fine. The story is well crafted, told with candor and humour, easily relatable and engaging.

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