The Road Is Good: How a Mother's Strength Became a Daughter's Purpose

by Uzo Aduba

A powerful, timely memoir of Black immigrant identity, the story of an unforgettable matriarch, and a unique coming-of-age story by Nigerian American actress Uzo Aduba.

The actress Uzo Aduba came of age grappling with a master juggling as one of few Black families in their white Massachusetts suburb, she and her siblings were the unexpected presence in whatever school room or sports team they joined. But Aduba was also rooted by a fierce and nonnegotiable sense of belonging and extraordinary worth that stemmed from her mother’s powerful vision for her children, and their connection to generations of family in Nigeria. The alchemy of being out of place yet driven by fearless conviction powered Aduba to success. 

The Road Is Good is more than the journey of a young woman determined to survive young adulthood — and to create a workable identity for herself. It is the story of an incredible mother and a testament to matriarchal power. When Aduba’s mother falls ill, the origin of her own power crystallizes and Aduba leaps into a caretaker role, uniquely prepared by the history and tools her mother passed along to become steward of her ancestoral legacy.  

Deeply mining her family history—gripping anecdotes her mother, aunts, and uncles shared in passing at family celebrations and her own discoveries through countless auditions in New York and her travels to Nigeria—Aduba pieces together a life story imbued with guiding lessons that are both personal and profoundly universal.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Biography Memoir, Autobiography, Inspirational

335 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2024

About the author

Uzoamaka Nwanneka "Uzo" Aduba; born February 10, 1981 is an American actress. She gained wide recognition for her role as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019), for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014, an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2015, and two SAG Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series in 2014 and 2015. She is one of only two actors to win an Emmy Award in both the comedy and drama categories for the same role.

Reviews

[Sarah Meaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as an audiobook. And ohhh, I couldn’t recommend it enough in that format. As this book is read by the author, I felt it was even more powerful. Uzo is a woman of many talents and she had me both laughing out loud and crying at times. It is beautifully narrated.

I loved this book on many levels. I expanded my horizons as it relates to African and especially Nigerian heritage. I thought more deeply about my relationship with my family and my heritage and what I want to pass onto my children. I learned more about race and its profound impact. (IMHO race and racism is a life long learning journey!) I found Uzo’s vulnerability and generosity in sharing about her family, her life, her relationships and her journey into being a household name a true privilege to listen to.

I simultaneously found it hard to stop the book at times and also wanting to take it slow and make it last. I suppose I will just have to listen again!

“I’ve never heard of absolutely nothing coming from hard work” That is my new mantra!

Thank you, Uzo for this absolute treasure of a book. 💛

[Mia Brabham · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best celebrity memoirs I’ve ever read. An extremely beautiful family portrait. What a gift.

[Sherry Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a beautiful tribute to mainly Uzo’s mother but also other family and friends who impacted her life. I loved listing to you speak for your mother, her accent was delightful. Thank you for capturing the special relationship you had with your mom. There is so much more to Zozo than her crazy eyes or tooth gap. Your mom is so proud of you.

[May · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a delightful read!

As a Nigerian -American from the Igbo tribe, I enjoyed reading this piece. Never having heard if Uzo Aduba ( I live in Paris and not exactly a TV person) until I recently saw her on The View, it was a delight to read about her relationship with her mother. More importantly, I was glad to know that she not only could speak Igbo( rare for many American- born children of Nigerian parents), but also that she is versed in the Nigerian culture as much as in the American culture. She’s not even afraid to travel to Naija and go clubbing in Lagos. Then board Peace Air for the East, hire a car and drive into the villages of Anambra State!!! A spiritual warrior to boot!
I wish my American-born children could be like her.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for this Uzo ♥️

[Artemisia Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a big TV watcher, but an interview on NPR with Uzo Aduba about her book piqued my interest. I was already a bit familiar with her since 2 of my grandkids live in the same small town in Massachusetts where the author grew up after her family immigrated from Nigeria. The book is full of heart, very authentic and totally inspiring. Not only is this a story about love of family, but most especially it is a moving tribute to her late mother. As celebrity memoirs go, this is definitely a standout.

[Uzoamaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing story of Uzo Aduba centered around the life of her mother. My namesake. I was very excited to read this - all about this Nigerian American actress from her early life to her now. I only wished there were pictures in the book especially where she mentions the White House visit, or her being honoured at her high school and prompting a young girl to take a picture too.

[Christie Maliyackel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great memoir, which brought to life so many cultural elements with humor, realism, and grace.

[Udodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book is Aduba's memoir, it is also such a loving and beautiful tribute to her mother. I was moved to tears.

I thought The Road is Good was done well. I took some issue with the book's organization but taken as a whole, it worked. After having read it, I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of who Aduba is and I appreciate her story. I am always skeptical about reading celebrity memoirs but I felt this one was self-reflective and not just a detailing of career highlights and name-dropping.

Being first generation Igbo in the U.S., it was so interesting to read in detail about another first gen who has had a completely different experience than I have had. It gave me a lot of perspective and an even deeper appreciation for my own journey and that of my parents.

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Medfield, Massachusetts represented in this book 🙌🏻

[Julie Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely lovely. Sobbed through the last 2 hours. Strongly recommend the audiobook — Uzo does wonderful voices for all her different friends and family members

[Bird Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio.

3.5 Entertaining and a beautiful tribute to her mother. It didn’t blow my mind away or give me a whole lot of new information but it is a sweet dedication.

[Kerry Cowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every single word! If you can, listen to the audio because Uzo's voice is everything!!

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook 2.5x: I really really enjoyed this audiobook. I admire this actress, she is so talented- this book made me laugh, tear up, learn things and entertained me. I’m so impressed with her family. I loved that she was a figure skater growing up.

[Mirae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful memoir written by one of my favorite actors. I’ll have to listen to the audiobook, and probably raise my rating to 5 stars.

[Leia Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wholly human and vulnerable in all the right ways. I loved her as a performer, and now I love her as a human.

[Sarah Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh uzo - I love you but what the heck was this…? Elementary writing, chaotic organization.

[DC_Shellz · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Come From Somewhere

Which means You Have Worth.

In a day, real-time, no matter you political viewpoint, we are witnessing yet again in our history, where a group, primarily white makes with $$$$, trying to segment many people and assessing that they have no value, or very little.

This is a battle that many face from earliest of years, especially women of color. What is my value, especially being told "you are worthless.

Ms. Aduba, had a very strong foundation, a grounded perspective, but facing the challenges, of knowing your a person of color, an African 1st gen with ties in many facets, found herself fighting the inner demons of this value, with the outer world accessing her.
Socially, she was a trying to assimilate.
Academically, as many Nigerian children learn, their value is determined by the recognized professional position they have, i.e. Doctor, Lawyer, Accountant, not Artist, Dancer, Singer, Actor.

While she had the support eventually in her perspective, she carried the weight of having to be the top, in order to feel that her mother respected her path. Winning the Emmy night have given her but in Ms Adubas eyes, her worth had great value when she was able to and invited to the white house, and meeting both the Obama's, and the prestigious Dr. Jill Biden, someone whom mom could relate, and people she revered.
As probably with any child, it is hard to see that you have value, especially, when you do what you feel is against the norm or accepted.
Better than I, she was able to receive those peers, track team mates, lunch table crew, all that snubbed her for being "artsy/theatrical, African, Black girl from an all white Suburb, just being her.
Great self reflective writing, and telling her story of her relation with her mother and siblings.
I applaud her restraint and respect for leaving out her siblings stories not direct to hers.
Happy I picked this up.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no idea who she is, have never seen an episode of 'Orange Is the New Black', etc. But I liked the title and the premise. It seemed like a good time to read something a little more uplifting and happy and the title seemed to fit that bill. I was curious to see what her experiences to be one of the very few if only Black families in suburban Massachusetts, her life and career. I also don't know much about Nigeria, so this interested me even more.

Aduba walks us through her life, from growing up in said suburb but also driven to success, much of it driven by her mother. So the story takes a turn when Aduba falls ill, and we also get an exploration of the author's family and history, her ties to Nigeria, the lessons learned from her mother, etc.

It was okay. Perhaps it was because I have never seen Orange, have no connection to the author (from research I think I've only seen one or two things with her in it), and so a lot of it just fell flat. Her learning more about her family and reconnecting with her roots and the parts about her mom were interesting and touching, but overall as a memoir it wasn't for me.

That said, I'll bet fans of hers will love it. Also for those who have a similar background (either Nigerian or being the "only" in a room or growing up in the same places as Aduba, etc.). If you're looking for stuff about Orange, though, this isn't the book for it.

Library was best for me.

[Anna Kefalas · Rating 4 out of 5]

“This will not be me, I thought so many nights, as I took the walk down Broadway to the subway after my shift. What I wanted—needed— was to wake up in the morning, every day, to go to work and do what I loved. I knew it’d be the hardest thing I’d ever try to do in my life, and that I’d likely miss out on some things—personal, financial—in order to get there. Still, all that work was worth it to me, if it ensured I didn’t come up empty handed. ‘Decide now.’ I didn’t want to be an artist who tried. I wanted to be an artist who did.’”

guys I loved this one. not only did I enjoy this intimate window into the life of an actress whose work I’ve always admired (seriously her performance in painkiller is top notch), I didn’t anticipate seeing so much of myself and my journey reflected in the pages of this memoir. also, and this has nothing to do with the content of the book I just need to put it somewhere, but I need to hold space for just how gorgeous and fierce Uzo looks on the cover of this book. enough said.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find I am coming to enjoy stories of other people who are raised in far different circumstances than my own. It’s not that I come to understand them as people so much as I’m learning to understand their place in their culture in their world…. when it is usually so far removed from my own. This is written by Uzo Aduba, the story of how her whole life was shaped by her mother in all the best ways.
Even when she decided to go into the theater and arts against the family urging for more prestigious work, her mother was there, always.
In the book, you see the beauty of one tribe in Nigeria’s cultural ways, and how they define themselves as a part of that culture with the beauty of history. In the United States, we have very little of that. I sometimes envy. The experience of immigrants in that they are still so close to their beginnings… Even though they struggle mightily to fit in another culture.

[Kaleigh]

“I've heard of nothing coming from nothing, but I've never heard of absolutely nothing coming from hard work.”

Synopsis✨
Deeply mining her family history—gripping anecdotes her mother, aunts, and uncles shared in passing at family celebrations and her own discoveries through countless auditions in New York and her travels to Nigeria—Aduba pieces together a life story imbued with guiding lessons that are both personal and profoundly universal.

Thoughts✨
This was a fantastic memoir! It brought to life emotion, humour and culture. Not only a story about Uzo herself but her family (in particular, her mother) and how they shaped her along the way. I know Uzo mainly as her role of “Crazy eyes” on Orange is the New Black and was intrigued about her story. It was honest and vulnerable in all the right ways and Uzo is a wonderful and engaging narrator.

[Tiffany Broussard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately drawn to this book. Although I’d only seen Uzo in a few shows, something about the cover compelled me to pick it up—and I’m so glad I did. Her storytelling transported me, from her school days to the highs and lows of her acting journey. The personal stories and lessons about her family, especially her mother, felt deeply intimate, almost sacred.

Reading this book filled me with hope and prompted me to reflect on my own family relationships. It made me think about the stories and experiences that shaped my parents long before I entered their lives. This book inspired me to dig deeper, to connect the dots of my own family history, and to create a legacy of understanding for future generations.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Road to Good by Uzo Aduba

An autobiography read by the author, most known for her iconic portrayal of Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” in Orange is the New Black. But most recently I became enthralled with her performance as the Poirot like detective in The Residence! I think she is one of the most interesting actors to watch, and thus found her biography to be equally as compelling. Her stories of being the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, her education as a formally trained opera singer and her arduous auditions for multiple dream roles unattained, then culminating in the role that would begin and define her incredible career. It inspired me to go back and watch her first episodes in OITNB and see her in a new light!

Book 20 of 2025
Listened to April 10-25

[Bill Grabin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I came across this in my library's new fiction shortly after finishing our second time through The Residence, which we absolutely loved. While I ended up skimming a bit when she got too deeply into the many members of her extended family, many parts of it are very powerful.

Her dedication to her life and her family is remarkable. By dedication to her life, I'm referring to the incredible passion with which she pursued her development as an actress and all the steps in her life that preceded her acting career. What a powerful and passionate woman. One particular highlight was how she handled her encounter with 3 plainclothes cops. It was unbelievable, and demonstrated the incredible strength she possesses.

[Miriam Gohara · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a season crowded with memoirs I can’t recommend this one highly enough, especially the audiobook, which the author narrates melodiously. This is a coming of age story and a tribute to a mother’s devotion to her children. Aduba writes of her early years as a child of Nigerian immigrants in a mostly white suburb of Boston with such vivid stories that I found myself feeling included in the Igbo traditions and festivities in her reminiscences. This book is at its best when Aduba reflects on her life and her roles in some of TV’s most acclaimed series. Poignant, weighty, and lighthearted all at once. Read it!

[Ade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is best read on audio. It was an opening into the author’s life and mind. It showcased her history and her relationships with her siblings and mainly her mother.

It was also a lesson in history, racism and identity. The book captures the immigrant experience and culture of Uzo’s parents and her experience as a second generation Nigerian-American.

There was vulnerability and honesty in her words and the way she narrated her book. You can hear the strength she gained from her mother and her mother’s experiences.

If you want to know more about immigrant culture and experiences then you should read this.

[Davis Okey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Uzo Aduba herself, and I highly recommend experiencing it that way if you can.

It paints a vivid portrait of Uzo’s journey, shining a beautiful light on the pivotal role her mother played along the way. The memoir offers intimate insights into her family life and the experience of navigating the world as a Nigerian-American with big dreams. So much warmth. So much hope. I finished this book feeling deeply inspired, and incredibly proud to be Igbo, Nigerian, and part of the diaspora.

[Erin Cullum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy memoirs, especially celebrity memoirs. This one focused a lot on Aduba's mom which was very interesting. Her story could have been elaborated upon and made into its own book. I feel like I learned a lot about Nigeria and the culture and history of the country. But I didn't learn as much about Aduba's career and stories from her time in Hollywood as I would have liked. This is a well written and interesting story. But it wasn't what I was expecting.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't always rate memoirs/autobiographies as you can't really rate someone's life, but this was so good. I love that I was able to learn about Nigerian culture as well as a little history of the country while hearing her story. There's so much more to this woman than "crazy eyes." 🤪 She is incredible and I highly recommend this (listen to her read it! She sings a smidge and also does her mother's beautiful accent when speaking for her). I'm so glad I chose this on a whim. So, so good.