For me, the “gateway” genre that helped me go from being an audiobook skeptic to an audiobook evangelist is memoir. When I discovered memoirs, read by the author, on audio, my love affair began. Now I listen to all kinds of genres, but I still think that memoir is my favorite type of audiobook to listen to.
Here is a list of several different types of memoirs that I recommend, and all of these are great on audio.
Complicated Family Relationships
This is probably my favorite subject for a memoir, and there are so many out there—my list is far from comprehensive.
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford. I loved Ford’s memoir of her life and the relationships that shaped her. She writes about her complicated relationship with her mother, and how she felt her father’s love reach her despite him being away in prison. It was touching, authentic, and difficult at times, yet relatable as well.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. This memoir contains so much: Zauner’s identity growing up Korean American, the grief over losing her mother to cancer, and the love language that she and her mother shared—food. What made her story exceptional to me was the way she seamlessly weaves these parts of her life together. I left this book both hungry and with the desire to go hug my mom.
The Color of Water by James McBride. This memoir about the author, who is Black biracial, and his white, Jewish mother was stunning. He braids together the experience growing up in his family with his mother’s story, and it is touching, heartbreaking, and even laugh out loud funny at times. A parent-child relationship is almost always complex, and this one is even more so because of their racial divide, but McBride tells her story with so much tenderness—you can feel how much he loved her.
Inheritance by Dani Shapiro. This is Shapiro’s story of a family secret that was revealed because of a DNA test she took on a whim. She explores identity, and how the stories we are told about where we come from shape us, and what happens when we find out those stories aren’t true. I loved her honest writing, and the way this memoir balanced an unfolding mystery with deeply personal reflections.
The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner. Ruth grew up in a polygamist cult—one of her father’s forty-odd children born to numerous wives. She lived on a farm in rural Mexico, in a house without indoor plumbing or electricity. Her father dies when Ruth is just a child, and her mother remarries another church-member who also practices polygamy. This memoir was heartbreaking in so many ways: the level of poverty that Ruth and her siblings were forced to live with as a result of their parents’ lifestyle, repeated abuse that was ignored by the very person who was supposed to protect her, and traumatic deaths caused by carelessness and pride. Ruth endured so much as a child that it feels like a miracle that she grew up to tell her story at all.
Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan. Called Glitter and Glue because Corrigan’s mother always told her “your father is the glitter, and I am the glue”, and in this memoir she explores what her mother meant by that. Like most of us, Corrigan had a certain idea of who her mother was, but when she became a nanny for grieving siblings who lost their mother, her perspective shifted. As she took on a mothering role, she saw her mother in a new light and recognized her mother’s humanity. This is a familiar story for many I’m sure, but she tells it with the perfect mix of humor, nostalgia, and poignancy. I also highly recommend Tell Me More and The Middle Place by this author.
Exploring Humanity
I love memoirs as “window” books to see into the lives of people who have lived different experiences, and learn not only about worldviews different from my own, but also the things we all share.
Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig. I make an effort to read diversely, but it took me way too long to include the voices of people with disabilities in my reading. But Taussig’s fascinating, funny, and thought-provoking memoir helped me realize how important that perspective is. I recommend this book to any human with a body. Also, Taussig is from Kansas City, which I think is so cool—I love supporting local writers!
I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown. Channing Brown shares her experience as a Black woman living and working in mostly white spaces in this excellent memoir (narrated by the author on audio). She shares the racism she has experienced, both overtly and in frequent micro-aggressions. As a Christian, her perspective on the racism she has seen within churches where she’s worked was particularly eye-opening.
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson. This is also narrated by the author, which made it an excellent listen. I read for many reasons, but one of them is to explore new perspectives, and getting a glimpse of life growing up as a queer Black boy was so powerful. I loved the stories about his family, and the way he knew they loved him fiercely, and yet he still struggled to fully be himself with them. His stories about trying to fit in are ones we can all relate to, and yet I found the ones worlds away from my own experiences just as captivating.
Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride. I enjoy gaining new perspectives through what I read, and Sarah McBride’s story of her life as a transgender woman and activist was so inspiring. It’s equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, and I appreciated the balance of insights into her personal life as well as the ways she advocates for the LGBTQ community.
In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado. I listened to this unique, beautifully written memoir on audio and really loved it. Machado plays with structure and point of view, which made it feel so much different from any other memoir I’ve read before. Her story isn’t always easy to read though, as it is mostly the story of being in an abusive relationship with a woman, which—as she mentions—isn’t a narrative we often hear in stories of lesbian relationships. If you’re looking for a memoir that’s a little different, yet raw and moving, pick this one up.
Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson. Jenny Lawson, known by many as The Bloggess, is known for writing hilarious stories about her life as well as honest insights into her personal struggles with mental illness. This is her third book, and it had me laughing so hard I couldn’t even contain myself (which was slightly embarrassing when listening to the audio while out on a walk in our neighborhood). Somehow she seamlessly blends her humor with raw, sincere reflections on her experience with mental and chronic illness, and the result is this excellent, cohesive memoir.
Deep Dive into a Different World
I love memoirs that explore different careers and industries that I may not otherwise know much about.
A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K. Barnett. This one also fits into the other categories, but it explores the justice system in a way that I found riveting (also check out Just Mercy for this). In this powerful story—part memoir, part deep dive into the justice system—Barnett shares how her life was shaped by her mother’s drug addiction and eventual prison sentence. She eventually goes to law school and discovers a woman who will change her life forever: Sharanda Jones, a Black single mother and business owner, given a life sentence for a first time drug offense. She sees so much of her own life in Sharanda’s story, and she soon throws herself into Sharanda’s case and dedicates herself to her freedom. I highly recommend this gripping and eye-opening story.
Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi. You may recognize Onwuachi from Top Chef, but this memoir is so much more than a young chef’s reflections of his time in the spotlight. Instead, it’s his story of how food came to play such a formative role in his life, from his mother’s Louisiana cooking to what he ate with his family in Nigeria when his mom sent him there to “learn respect.” With honesty, humility, and at times, pride, he tells the story of how his experience selling both drugs and candy bars led to his determination and grit as an entrepreneur. By the age of 27, Onwuachi had run his own catering company and opened (and unfortunately, closed) one of the most high-profile restaurants in Washington D.C. I loved his story; it was filled with passion, relatability and inspiration.
The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper. I was intrigued by this memoir by an ER physician and while I knew it would be interesting, I wasn’t expecting it to be so enthralling. While Harper is obviously an outstanding physician, she is also a talented storyteller. I listened to this on audio and made excuses to keep doing random household chores so that I could keep listening—the sign of a good audiobook for sure!
Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl. This is Reichl’s memoir of her experience at Gourmet magazine, from its heyday to its eventual decline. I always think of her when I think of Gourmet, but that wasn’t always the case. She was offered top position there before, according to Reichl herself, she was qualified for it, but she ended up taking the magazine from old fashioned to a must-read for foodies. She also vulnerably shares her story of what happened next, when magazines were forced to compete with the ever-changing content served up on demand, on computer screens. Her story is fascinating, and if you enjoy food writing (or just food!) I recommend it.
Celebrity Memoirs
I haven’t read a lot of these, so if this is the type of memoir that you want to start with, I’ve also heard excellent things about Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, Open Book by Jessica Simpson, and Will by Will Smith.
Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson. This is one I likely wouldn’t have picked up on my own, but I’m thankful that my book club often encourages me to read outside my comfort zone. I don’t typically read many celebrity memoirs, although calling Cicely Tyson a mere “celebrity” feels like a disservice, she falls more into the “legend” category. Reading about her life, which I knew very little about going in, was fascinating, and it led to great conversation as well. It’s long, but it was a great listen on audio, and I’m so glad I read it.
Becoming by Michelle Obama. Again, it seems wrong to think of her as simply a “celebrity,” but you know what I mean. Becoming is a fitting title, because she really does tell the story of how she became the woman she is. Of course she talks about her time as First Lady, but she also talks about her childhood, her career aspirations, and even shares some of the history of her relationship with Barack Obama. While politics come up throughout the book, I wouldn’t classify this memoir as political at all. Instead, it is an honest look at her own life–as a child, student, lawyer, wife, mother, and First Lady–before, during, and after her time in the White House. Becoming is surprisingly long, but it was a pleasure to listen to, and it never felt like it was dragging. Instead I looked for excuses to keep Michelle Obama in my earbuds just a little longer.
Finding Me by Viola Davis. This is another one I read for book club, and I’m so glad they gave me the nudge I needed to pick it up. Davis tells her story of growing up in extreme poverty in a place where she was often overlooked and undervalued. In the description, she states, “This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn’t always see me.” Her story is raw and vulnerable; I see Viola Davis as a woman who is strong, beautiful, and clearly extremely talented, yet it took her a long time to ever see herself that way. If you like a celebrity memoir that skews more “deep” than “dishy,” this one is for you.
Americans, Abroad
I love reading about people who grew up in the US but have spent significant amounts of time in other countries. Nothing beats the real thing of course, but traveling via books is pretty enjoyable! I’ve also heard great things about From Scratch by Tembi Locke and Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond.
Achtung Baby by Sara Zaske. This is the author’s memoir of moving to Germany from the US and raising her children there. It’s part memoir and part parenting book, and Zaske gives both big-picture insights into what she’s learned about German parenting philosophy as well as day-to-day choices that she sees German parents make.
Wild Life by Keena Roberts. This is another story of an American living abroad, but this is from the child’s perspective. Roberts is the daughter of primatologists, and she spent most of her childhood in Botswana where her parents studied baboons. This is the story of her unique experience there, and also her struggle to fit in when she and her family traveled back to the US. What I like about Wild Life is that it paints a picture of Roberts’ everyday life abroad, but her everyday life feels like more of an adventure than my most exciting vacation.
Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr. In this memoir, Doerr recounts the year he spent in Rome thanks to a writing award and stipend he received. A paid stay in Rome isn’t something you say no to, even when you’re a new father to twin boys. So Doerr, his wife, and his months-old twins leave the US and go to Rome for an unforgettable year-long adventure. I found this memoir to be the perfect mix of fascinating and relatable. Doerr describes his trips to the local market, visits to piazzas and ruins, and the palpable emotion in the city as Pope John Paul II became deathly ill. Yet this was more than a travel memoir. I found myself laughing as he described their struggles with sleep-protesting, teething babies (been there) and I was fascinated by both the novelty and challenge of raising babies–challenging in its own right–in a foreign country.
Have you read or listened to any of these memoirs?
