I listened to Thicker Than Water: A Memoir by Kerry Washington and I’m glad I did it that way. There is something about hearing a memoir in the author’s own voice that just lands differently. You catch the emotion, the humour, the hesitation and in Kerry Washington’s case, a real sense of control over how her story is being told.

I realised quite quickly that I had unintentionally reduced her career to Scandal. Olivia Pope had such a cultural grip that it almost overshadowed everything else. This book corrects that. It walks you through her earlier work, her influences and the choices she made long before TGIT had us all glued to our screens.

There is also a strong thread of activism running through the book. Her involvement in the Obama presidential campaign 2008 was something I was not particularly familiar with from a UK perspective, but it added an important layer to how she sees her platform and responsibility.

Now, I’m not going to spoil anything because part of what makes this memoir work is how it unfolds. Let’s just say it earns its title.

Listening to this also took me right back to peak Twitter days. If you know, you know. #ShondaThursdays, #TGIT, scrambling to catch up on episodes the next morning. Mr WorldPremiere may or may not have been part of that routine. No judgement here.

What I appreciated most is that this is not just a celebrity memoir for the sake of it. It is reflective without being heavy, honest without being performative, and structured in a way that keeps you engaged throughout.

Also, slight side note. I am currently watching Imperfect Women, so this felt like perfect timing. It is always interesting to engage with someone’s work while also hearing them tell their own story. You start to notice the through lines in a different way.

Who should read this?

• Fans of Scandal
• Anyone who enjoyed Little Fires Everywhere
• Anyone watching Imperfect Women
• Readers who like memoirs with a bit more substance
• PopSugar 2026 participants looking to tick off “a book featuring a character with a hidden past”

Final thoughts

This is a solid 4 star read for me. Engaging, insightful and best experienced through audio. It will make you rethink what you thought you knew about Kerry Washington and remind you that there is always more beneath the surface. To see my rating system please check this page out.

You can get Thicker than Water by Kerry Washington from where you usually get your books from: