Thandie Newton Turned To Romance Books To Avoid the Lonliness of Being the ‘Lone Black Girl’

Many of us who’ve experienced being, as a dear friend once described: “a spec of pepper in a sea of salt,” within the environment of our upbringing can surely relate to Ms. Thandiwe on some level. Speaking candidly, once more, about her travails as a woman of color in a Eurocentric culture, Thandie Newton confessed that as a teen, she relied on romance novels to cope with the lack of attention she received from boys.

The stunning British actress admits to being overlooked by fellas while growing up and used the novels as an escape from the pain and confusion:

“I lost myself in reading as a teen. Wasn’t the girl who boys saw themselves being involved with; I lived in a small town and you weren’t going to go out with the black girl… So these sweeping stories taught me about love and romance. Reading was the only way I could make sense of the hormones coursing through my body.”

In addition, Thandie shared the impact Pema Chodron’s book ‘When Things Fall Apart’, made on her outlook on life and love. “I read this at a difficult time and found it incredibly comforting,” she said. “The moment Chodron realized she had to make a change in her life was when her husband told her he’d been having an affair and was leaving her. The rage she felt was so powerful, it made her see that she needed to temper it with compassion. But it was that rage that led her to a huge epiphany of love and that is certainly something I’ve encountered in my life. The most painful and difficult times have been the key to wisdom, understanding and deep love.”

Ms. Newton’s knack for keeping things real makes her even more of a show-biz rarity . Expect to find her on the big screen next year as the lead in Tyler Perry’s upcoming film, “Good Deed’s.”

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