I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing, a novel written by Maya Angelou, accounts her life from age 3 through age 16, narrating an unsettled and traumatic childhood that included rape and racism. Maya Angelou describes her coming of age as an intelligent but insecure Black girl in the American South during the 1930s, and subsequently in California during the 1940s.
This was one of the most inspiring memoirs that I have ever read. We read about Tara Westover’s personal experiences living in a very strict, radical Mormon family. It’s a very empowering book about her journey out of her prison-like life under her radical, abusive father. She talks about all of the challenges she faced as her brainwashed religious side fought against the other side of her that wanted an education and wanted to leave her home. You get to read about her journey to getting an education after not being taught much as a young girl.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is one of the most unorthodox books you’ll ever read. Written as an autobiography, it details her life growing up with a dysfunctional family. Her parents were creative thinkers who preferred to live their lives differently from society. They constantly moved their kids to new places, and relied on their children’s self-sustenance to keep the family afloat. Jeannette and her three siblings, Lori, Brian, and Maureen, depended on each
Breaking Clean is a memoir by Judy Blunt. It follows Blunt’s life growing up on a farm in rural Montana and the challenges involved with that lifestyle. Blunt touches on gender roles, poverty and coming-of-age.
The storytelling in this book about Mrs. Zauner’s life is breathtakingly moving and engrossing. You meet Michelle Zauner who is a Korean American. She talks about the hardships she faced as an Asian American and about the struggles she went through with her relationship with her mother. You also read about the challenges she goes through while finding out what truly makes her happy and the challenges she has throughout her life. This book was very well written as you can feel Zauner’s emotions throughout the book and also through the food she writes about.
The Glass Castle is a memoir by journalist Jeannette Walls about her family and childhood. Her parents rejected societal norms, which was often detrimental to the Walls children but also beneficial in its own ways. Jeannett’s father was a genius who helped accelerate the education of his children, but also an alcoholic without any money management skills and constantly on the run from the bill collectors.
Tara Westover’s autobiography, Educated, details her life growing up with survivalists in rural Idaho. Westover received no formal education until she went to college and was barred from modern society, yet she managed to earn her Ph.D. in History from Cambridge. I found this novel intriguing for the most part, but some moments felt repetitive. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Westover’s display of courage, strength, and individuality; she represents how hard work and a little bit of luck can overcome all odds.
Helen Jukes, unsatisfied with her work and home life, receives a colony of bees as a gift from a friend. Recalling how she enjoyed her previous beekeeping experiences, she decides to keep and care for the colony in her backyard. She describes her year of beekeeping, all the while learning more about honey bees and rediscovering passion.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou is a memoir. Maya talks about her experiences growing up as an African American. She has to face discrimination and family problems, and tries to find her place in society. Finally, she is able to break certain barriers that society has created. Is she truly able to find her place?
How About Never--is Never Good for You? is Bob Mankoff’s engrossing memoir that focuses primarily on his experiences as a cartoonist and editor of TheNew Yorker magazine. Wryly funny and a little tongue-in-cheek, this book is a quick and enjoyable tidbit. The story initially focuses on Bob Mankoff’s life, but gradually shifts to his professional experiences and the cartoons of The New Yorker.
