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

As if I needed another reason to love this woman! This book is funny, raw, emotional, shocking, sad, and completely brilliant. It takes a lot of bravery and a heavy dose of humility to lay yourself and your story bare like this but boy did she go there. In the end the result is an amazingly educational read into the experience of a young black woman torn between two realities and all of the experiences that came with both that helped shape her into the strong, brilliant woman she is today.

It's Black History Month 2024, and I'm engrossed in "We're Going to Need More Wine" by Gabrielle Union. At the beginning the book, old Gabrielle doesn’t spare young Nickie who yearned to assimilate so deeply into the white and Christian town her father had chosen to live in, that she mistreated or ignored anyone who wasn't white or Christian—whether Black, 'brown', or openly Jewish. She managed to do it so perfectly that her friends, ‘forgetting’ she was black, spoke in racial terms next to her.She talks about her mother and father, both of whom are still alive, with openness and honest brutality that makes for compelling reading. It’s amazingly non judgemental. I couldn't help but admire Gabriel’s courage in writing about her upbringing.This non judgmentalism, while serving her in most of the book, rings false when addressing the black community’s unique problems . The way you read of how gangs and their violent culture arrived in Omaha where she is from and where she spent her summers with her grandmother, you’d think the arrival of gangs was inevitable. A force majeure, like the tornadoes - there's nothing you can do about it.She writes with bravery and honesty about the sexual assault she went through, and sheds light on the experience the post trauma and the ways in which she was lucky - and other rape victims aren’t. The book is worth reading if only for this astounding chapter.She did get around Hollywood and the name droppings (while still in high school she dated Jason Kidd), are very entertaining (Heath Ledger, anyone?), but not too frequent. This is not a gossipy book. Reading about Prince’s parties is eye opening in the sense of what mingling and connections, so essential always, are taken for granted for some - and totally out of reach for others.“I always want there to be a point to what I am saying, and I don’t want to bring up the issue of …” she says. In this case she’s talking about ‘colorism’ , a term I wasn’t familiar with and denotes the color scale black people use to measure their worth, within their own community, when light is good and dark is bad. But every chapter in this amazing book which is a group of essays framed into a memoir carries a point and intent- and I loved it.She drops “black bombs” - speaking home truths about what it is to be a black person in America - to be aware of it, careful with your actions and demeanor - especially if you’re a young black manI love that she is open about her sexuality. She writes about cheating on her husband (who cheated on her almost from the get-go), she writes about making more money or less money than your partner - and how that might affect the relationship Favorite quotes:“One thing about me, I don’t mind notes if they are helpful.”“I, like many women, know what the hell is wrong with me. Whether we choose to do something about it remains to be seen.”“I think I can deal effectively with the world precisely because I am a black woman who is so comfortable in my black-womanness. I know what I can accomplish.And anything I have accomplished, I did so not in spite of being a black woman, but because I am a black woman.”

I had 2 primary goals going into this book that i’ll honestly spill:1.I wanted to know why she hadn’t had children2.Why it appears Dwayne Wade’s third son is an elephant in the room no one can addressI know this is very messy and childish of me, but hey – like i said , i wanted to get into her business! I regretfully got the answer to my first question in the essay, “Get Out My Pussy”, and the second was answered by a woman in my book club who happened to go through the same experience . . .Although before I get into that, can i just say i love Gabrielle after reading this book. I’m no longer naive enough to say i like her from the characters she’s played on various movie screens, but i plainly love “Nikki”. She told her business so comfortably throughout this collection of essays, that i often found myself laughing out loud, nodding my head in agreeance , or simply telling her to “shutup and get to the point” .i truly felt like I was sitting somewhere close to her ,where she felt comfortable enough to show me some of her “scars”.Some of my favorite essays in the book were, “Black girl blues”, “Crash and burn marriage”, and “Warning:Famous Vaginas get itchy, too. I felt like they removed a barrier to Gabrielle that was present (i could of put it there after watching Too Can Play That Game TBH), where she gives insight into her black experience in America, how that has affected many of her romantic relationships, and how being famous can result in putting vanilla yogurt in your vagina in the wee hours of the morning (you’ll have to read it to know what i’m referring too) Nikki is TRULY a personality removed from any script we may have seen her act out.Although with all that said ,i still felt myself judging her (which isn’t my place and i hated it whenever i would do it ) when she didn’t directly talk about Dwayne’s 4 year old son he had while they were on break. I mean, you see the hashtag #thewades and all you see are images of Gabrielle, Dwayne Wade, his 2 son’s from his previous marriage and his nephew that he raises. That it really left a “weird” taste in my mouth until one of my book club members stated that when she went through a similar situation – she didn’t speak on it until she was fully healed to discuss it. She suggested that Gabrielle may still be working through it, as she had to do with the rest of the issues she can now candidly discuss in these essays. Although when something is still hurting it’s not time to remove the bandage just yet… Overall, it was a great read that me and my book club enjoyed and i would recommend it to anyone who wants to read some crazy, hilarious, and sometimes sad stories and meet the leading lady whose brave enough to tell them.– Kori

I’m a bigger fan for having read this. It’s an honest and real page-turner with lessons to spare. Grateful that she shared all she did. I felt like I was talking to my best friend while drinking our wine.

Gabrielle Union is so honest and hilarious in this book as she talks about her childhood, growing up, infertility, breakups and make ups . It is well written and such an easy read, I read it on the train to workand would often burst out laughing.

I felt like I was hanging out with a friend and talking about life. There's an intelligence in her writing that makes the difficult and serious/intense topics easier to get through. Great read.

I'd recommend it thoroughly. Young and old will enjoy. I guess I am still curious about dean's and the boys

Really enjoyed reading this. Gabrielle Union tackles some really topical and difficult issues in a way that both entertains and gives food for thought. She is brutally honest at times and as the reader, I found myself wondering whether I could or would be just as open and honest about the events in my own life and whilst I'd like to think I would, I don't think I could be as candid. So for me, it illustrates how honest and open she strives to be.The book at different times makes you both laugh and want to cry. Her language is surprisingly rather fruity at times and her pain regarding not having children is palpable. Ms Union is open about her life and her insights are worthwhile especially regarding the real experiences of black actors in the world of entertainment. It is one I'd like my daughters to read! Well done Ms Union, you must be very brave and strong to put so much of yourself out there!