I unfortunately was not able to finish this book. I am not sure exactly what it was about this title but it is not for me. I appreciate the early copy being sent my way. I am sure others will enjoy this title.

This book was filled with so much emotional triumphs, that it brought me to tears. Her story is just so inspirational and shows no matter where you are in life it's never the lows of your story that truly define you but how you triumph in the face such adversity. How you continue to live and not allow the pain of your past to hold you back but to inspire your future. I am so glad I read this and hope you do too.



And as always Happy Reading!

Thank you to @simonbooks for this gifted copy of Walk Through Fire- Sheila Johnson’s memoir out September 19th.

I was unfamiliar with Sheila’s story, but thought it would be an intriguing read. I love stories about women shattering the glass ceiling, achieving incredible success in corporate America. In terms of content I want to read in a biography or memoir, it’s my jam. Not only is Sheila the cofounder of BET, she’s the first African American woman billionaire, a philanthropist with an incredible impact, a passionate and accomplished violinist (crazy fact- her parents took a second mortgage to buy her a $15,000 violin as a child), a mother, and a wife. As a working wife and mother myself, I love reading these stories. I always want to know- What is the price of having it all? Even though she’s incredibly successful, what would she do differently?

This memoir not only details her career as a badass businesswoman, it covers her personal life, her relationships, and her childhood- most pivotally the dissolution of her parents marriage and her 33 year marriage to Bob Johnson. She vowed as a teenager to not make the mistakes of her parents. Her father, a brilliant neurosurgeon was unfaithful and left the family for his nurse (how sadly unoriginal of him!). His betrayal resulted in her mother having a nervous breakdown that resulted in hospitalization. Sheila saw how dependency and power imbalances in relationships can lead to a type of world-shattering devastation, but she still found herself repeating the cycle a few short years later- in a codependent marriage with a man made of red
I picked up the book today to just scan it and suddenly I’m sixty pages into the story. Without spoiling too much, there’s heartbreaking examples of how parental relationships really map the design of our future romantic partnerships. I’m looking forward to learning more about how she built her empire in the rest of the book, but it’s been an incredible story thus far.

An autobiographical novel surrounding love, loss, art, business, heartache, and triumph; Walk Through Fire was a quick read that explored Sheila Johnson’s life from her early years to current. We learn about her passion of music from a young age and how that developed into a strong entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for philanthropy as she grew older. We learn about how a young woman who’s father abandoned her becomes the first African American woman billionaire and only black female co-owner of three professional sports teams.

It was inspiring to read about Sheila, as her story is one that many will be able to relate to and find community in. Sheila doesn’t shy away from the good, bad, and ugly that comes along with her life. She writes from a place of pain and joy, reflection and observance, emotion and logic.

I am glad that Sheila wrote this book after clearly and taking the time to reflect on so much of her life. She comes in with her own life story and opinion, of course, but she can also write from an outside observant POV. I enjoyed that it focused on both her personal and professional life; as reading about the start, trials, tribulations, and successes of her ventures (Black Entertainment Television, Salamander Hotels & Resorts, philanthropic work and travels, etc.) made for such a well rounded read.

Even if you are not familiar with Sheila Johnson or her ex-husband, Bob Johnson (who is a primary person throughout the book), I would recommend this book if you enjoy or are trying to read more memoirs/nonfiction. I was personally not familiar with them, nor their businesses, and still found this read to be fast paced, inspirational, and emotional. I felt like I was on her journey: and to me, that’s what makes a memoir so special.

Thank you @Simon.Books for the ARC!

Walk Through Fire was such an interesting and inspirational read. As a Black American who grew up during the 106 & Park days of BET, it was so interesting learning about how BET got started and grew to what it is today. There was so much that I wasn't aware of.

Sheila's story of finding herself and true happiness at a later age, was incredibly inspirational. I'm coming into my mid 30's and am in the thick of motherhood. It's so easy to lose yourself when you give so much of yourself to managing a household, raising children, and being in the workforce. It gave me hope that one day I'll be able to pursue some of the dreams for myself that I've put on hold.

I had two main takeaways from Sheila's story:

1. When someone shows you who they are, trust them the first time. Trusting your gut/intuition could save you pain in the long run.
2. Mentorship is so important. It's not only important to seek a mentor when starting out in your career/goals but to also give back to future generations when you're in a position to mentor.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Sheila's story, and I loved reading about her personal growth and healing and finding true happiness.