I’ve always found memoirs to be some of the most authentic expressions humanity has to offer. After all, rather than exploring fictional characters and their arcs, memoirs follow real individuals on their journeys through vulnerable yet oftentimes relatable challenges.
If you’re seeking new reads for the year ahead, why not dive into the nonfiction world for a change? Here are five memoirs that will challenge your perspective.
1. Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Many of us remember the horrific criminal case People v. Turner, when a former Stanford student named Brock Turner was convicted of felony sexual assault after sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster.
Originally, the public only knew the woman as “Emily Doe.” However, with her memoir, Know My Name, she has since come forward, reclaiming her identity as Chanel Miller. By sharing her story and the aftermath of her trauma, Miller hoped to free herself of her unfounded shame and take her power back as a survivor.
Synopsis: “She was known to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford’s campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral–viewed by eleven million people within four days, it was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress; it inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault for the first time.
“Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words … Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.”
2. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
You might recognize Trevor Noah as the popular comedian, but did you know he wrote a memoir about his childhood in apartheid South Africa, where he was born out of an illegal interracial relationship? Though the story details Noah’s unconventional adolescent years, it’s also centered around his resilient, heroic mother and her deep wisdom. This book will absolutely change your life and your perspective.
Note to readers: I’m not super keen on audiobooks, but I’ve heard Noah’s narration of the memoir is just as powerful as the story itself.
Synopsis: “The memoir of one man’s coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed … Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.”
3. Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad
Suleika Jaouad, author of The New York Times’ column “Life, Interrupted,” wrote an incredibly raw, honest memoir about her experience battling leukemia and forging a path forward. When she was first diagnosed with cancer, Jaouad was only given a 35 percent chance of survival. The years following were filled with chemo treatments, clinical trials, a bone marrow transplant, and the loss of independence.
As she defied the odds and reached remission, the young writer had learned how to survive—but she’d forgotten how to live. In an attempt to regain her sense of self and freedom, she hit the road for a 100-day, 15,000-mile cross-country solo trip, visiting countless strangers who had written to her while she was in the hospital. Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted explores the depth of our existence, the diversity of our challenges, and the beauty of our interconnectedness as humans.
Synopsis: “A searing, deeply moving memoir of illness and recovery that traces one young woman’s journey from diagnosis to remission and, ultimately, a road trip of healing and self-discovery … Between Two Kingdoms is a profound chronicle of survivorship and a fierce, tender, and inspiring exploration of what it means to begin again.”
4. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
You might know her as the infamous indie artist Japanese Breakfast, but Michelle Zauner is also a powerful writer and the author of Crying in H Mart.
This best-selling memoir details Zauner’s childhood as the only Asian-American child at her school in Eugene, Oregon, shedding light on the realities of growing up mixed-race. Throughout her story, the singer-songwriter explores heavy topics like high parental expectations, cultural disconnect, and profound loss and grief. Much like its name, the memoir is both deeply relatable and achingly vulnerable.
Synopsis: “The New York Times bestseller from the Grammy-nominated indie rockstar Japanese Breakfast, an unflinching, deeply moving memoir about growing up mixed-race, Korean food, losing her Korean mother, and forging her own identity in the wake of her loss … Vivacious, lyrical and honest, Michelle Zauner’s voice is as radiantly alive on the page as it is onstage. Rich with intimate anecdotes that will resonate widely, Crying in H Mart is a book to cherish, share, and reread.”
5. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Have you ever felt so far gone that you couldn’t imagine moving forward, craving a new slate while believing it’s too late for such a thing? Well, honey…Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail is the perfect memoir for you.
Many of us reach a point in life where we’re stewing in regret and bathing in shame, but few of us find the courage to face our demons and heal in solitude. That’s not to say that Strayed’s journey should be referenced as a how-to guide on healing. In fact, she herself does not shy away from describing—in great detail—her reckless decision-making and its brutal consequences. But memoirs are not meant to teach us who to become or how to move on with grace; rather, they’re meant to trigger our own honest, unflinching self-reflection and accountability. If you allow it to be a mirror, this book does just that.
Synopsis: “At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered, and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State — and she would do it alone.
“Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.”
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