I love all forms of nonfiction, memoirs, and historical fictionâanything that is even loosely based on real events turns me into a crazed researcher, wanting to know as much as I possibly can. Thereâs just something about going down endless Google rabbit holes and unlocking new hyperfixations that adds to my love of reading. One of my favorite parts about reading memoirs in particular is the opportunity to learn about ways of life and world views different from my own. Here are some memoirs that are the perfect mix of informative and entertaining:
- Educated by Tara Westover
-
Tara Westover is the youngest of seven children who were raised, and inconsistently homeschooled, on a remote Idaho farm and indoctrinated into Mormonism. As radical survivalists who were distrustful of the government and medicine, the Westovers are frequently put into dangerous situations working with scrap metal in a junkyard and consequently sustain injuries that are left untreated, which exacerbates the abuse Westover endures at the hands of one of her brothers. After a different brother gets into college, Westover decides to teach herself the years worth of education she missed, and eventually obtains three degrees, including a doctorate in history. She reflects on the childhood of abuse and neglect she faced at the hands of her family, their later estrangement, and the power of the pursuit of education.Â
- Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
-
In this graphic memoir, which has been adapted into a musical, Alison Bechdel recounts her childhood and young adulthood primarily through her complicated relationship with her father. As she discovers her own sexuality and gender identity, she grapples with the revelation that her father, who pushed her younger self to be more traditionally feminine, is a closeted gay man who has had extramarrital affairs with teenage boys and men. While in college, literature connects Bechdel with her father, who is an English teacher, until his suspected suicide, which occurs only months after 19-year-old Bechdel comes out as a lesbian. The weaving of literary references and bits of humor make Fun Home light-hearted and informative while still digging into themes of self-exploration, coming of age, and generational trauma.
- Iâm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
-
Child actress Jennette McCurdy of iCarly and Sam & Cat reflects on her Mormon upbringing in a hoarder house as her lower-class familyâs primary source income. Her mother put pressure on her to restrict calories in order to delay puberty and secure more acting roles, which prompted years of body image issues and eating disorders. Her food-loving character Sam Puckett and âThe Creator,â her boss on Nickelodeon, Dan Schneider, are additional sources of pressure that cause her to resent her career. McCurdyâs mother falls into a coma following the return of her breast cancer and, in one memory, she recalls thinking that her new low weight would be the news to finally wake her mother up. It isnât until after her motherâs death that she seeks support for bulimia and comes to terms with her motherâs abuse, exploitation, and control over her bodily autonomy.
- A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
-
I read A Moveable Feast during my Maymester studying culture and literature in Paris this past year, and it supplemented my understanding and appreciation for the city as inspiration for countless literary classics. Hemingway recalls his years living in Paris as an American expatriate during the 1920s through a collection of vignettes. Similar to his novel The Sun Also Rises, his memoir details the daily life and struggles of The Lost Generation following World War I. His stories emphasize the community of writers, and relationships with other important figures, living in Paris at the time, including Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, and Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Beyond developing the picturesque aspects of the Parisian lifestyle and his writing process, Hemingway reflects on the city 30 years after leaving and how it has remained with him.Â
- Just Kids by Patti Smith
-
Patti Smith reflects on her lifelong friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe primarily through their time living in New York City in the 1960s and 70s. She opens her memoir acknowledging Mapplethorpeâs death from AIDS in â89, setting the scene for a beautiful reflection of life and loss. Throughout their young adulthoods, they mirror each other in eccentricity and artistic capability, finding sources of inspiration, romantic love, and companionship in one another. All the while, Smith exerts her talents in transporting the reader back in time through abundant historical, literary, and musical references, painting a portrait of two struggling artists united by their role in each otherâs self-discovery, shared love of creating, and eventual success in their respective fields.
I hope at least one memoir on this list leaves you wanting moreâwhether that be wanting to read more memoirs or wanting to Google until your fingers hurt, there’s something for everyone!