Last week, I promised that my next book review would be on memoirs, and I am a person of my word. I feel like memoirs are really underappreciated—probably due to the oversaturation of the market with celebrity memoirs, which are often very middle of the road. Not that all celebrity memoirs are bad, but they do seem to dominate the genre, sometimes driving people away from it. However, I firmly believe that memoir is one of the best genres. A memoir can be anything: horror, romance, lighthearted, dark, funny—and the best part is, it’s real life, a reminder that you’re not alone.
(in no particular order)
- In The Dreamhouse by Carmen Maria Machado: This book takes everything you may think a memoir is and turns it on its head. Machado uses a unique second-person point of view to tell her story of surviving a vile, abusive relationship. Told through various silhouettes, this book is unlike anything else I have ever read. Machado does not hold back in her provocative portrayal of childhood, queerness, falling in love, fear, abuse, love bombing, depression, falling out of love, recovery, and, eventually, finding love again. A truly must-read book—if you’re okay with sobbing.
- Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson: Written by death-row lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson, this book explores the truly remarkable work of death-row attorneys. Told through the lens of the racially biased Walter McMillian trial, Stevenson details the thankless work of a death-row lawyer, the tragedy of wrongful convictions, and how the system disproportionately targets people of color as well as the mentally and physically disabled. He’s a fantastic storyteller, bringing the story to life in a way that makes the reader really see it. This is an educational and incredibly necessary book for understanding the complexities of the death penalty and the legal system surrounding it.
- I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy: Former Disney actress Jennette McCurdy uses this memoir to detail her mother’s emotional, physical, and psychological abuse, as well as her experience in the entertainment industry. McCurdy refuses to be defined by her traumatic childhood and instead uses this book to reclaim her own narrative. She takes readers from her early years through adulthood, covering her childhood, acting career, school life, first relationships, and, most of all, her mother’s abuse. We learn about the horrific behind-the-scenes realities of being a child actress and how those experiences shaped her adulthood. She also explores her complicated grief after her mother’s passing and her long journey toward healing.
- Crying in H-mart by Michelle Zauner: This memoir follows Korean-American musician Michelle Zauner in her heart-wrenching journey of coming to terms with her mother’s death. In this book, which brought me to tears repeatedly, Zauner gives a harrowing account of caring for her mother through pancreatic cancer. She recounts her grief in vivid detail and finds that connecting with her Korean heritage through food is one way to feel closer to her mother. And so, there she is—crying in the Asian grocery store, H Mart. This is a book about grief, identity, and trying to find success through heartbreak. It also includes several recipes and remains a breathtaking account of how culture is communicated through food and family.
If you’ve never read a memoir before, give it a try. I hope my recommendations are helpful. Memoir is such a powerful genre—consider looking into your favorite historical figures to see if they have memoirs.
