Today, we’ve made a list of our favourite 9 recently released memoirs to read this memorial day. These memoirs encompass a wide variety of individual lives spanning various spheres.
List of 9 Recently Released Memoirs To Read This Memorial Day:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
This introductory volume of US ex-president Barack Obama’s presidential memoirs is a tale of the man who not merely changed, but created history. Here, Obama talks of his journey from a young Black man confused about his identity to the confident leader of the only global superpower. This volume includes his political education and the beginning of his political career – his first term as the US president. Obama also delves into the theme of power – it’s meaning in the political context. His readers gain access to his thoughts on and during monumental political events – a global financial crisis, Wall Street reforms and the death of Bin Laden. We are also privy to some of his quieter moments, that sometimes seem more important than the loud – his assemblage of the cabinet, his marriage and more.
Sunshine Girl by Julianna Margulies
This memoir comes from the brilliant actress Margulies. In this, she reveals intimate details of her childhood as a child of divorced parents, who were largely unavailable. She then ventures into her life as an actress – the various difficult choices she made and the carious rejections and dejections that belied her path. She also talks about the ten film choices that most influenced her personal and professional life. This deep look into the elusive actress’s life is definitely one of our favourite memoirs of this year.
What It Feels Like for a Girl by Paris Lees
This punchy memoir gives us an insight into Paris Lees in her adolescence, amidst her confusion over sexual identity. She also tells us about her journey navigating society as a youngster. Her journey from being a bullied child to a transgender woman who was voted a ‘positive model for the LGBTQA community’ is truly inspiring. This is a bold memoir, and written in the present tense – which increases the urgency and impact of its content.
Unfinished by Priyanka Chopra
Acclaimed Bollywood actress and pageant winner Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ memoir chronicles her life in India as well as USA. Her childhood in India, her entry in the glamorous world of beauty pageants and Indian films, the expansion of her oeuvre into include some of the biggest TV shows of the West – it’s all here. She emphasizes on the fact that though her accomplishments may seem mammoth considering her young age, she is nowhere near done. Her dreams soar high, and so does she. This one’s must have memoir – especially for all Bollywood buffs.
Real Estate by Deborah Levy
In this non-fiction, the acclaimed author of ‘Swallowing Geography’ and ‘The Cost of Living’ is a profound meditation on home, its real meaning. This is the final instalment in her ‘Living Autobiography’ series and is full of her wit and depth of thought . This memoir absolutely blew our minds away, and definitely deserves a place on your bookshelf (and in your mind) too!
Persist by Elizabeth Warren
This novel by the influential senator and powerful author is a retrospective analysis of the six main roles she has played in her life and how they influenced her. She speaks intimately of her role as a mother, a teacher, a planner, a fighter, a learner and a woman. All of these roles have shaped her into who she is and have chiselled her way of thinking. A stunning memoir of identity and influence, this one definitely deserves more appreciation.
Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi
This deeply moving memoir of the Black queer author of ‘Freshwater’ has been a favourite of many people across the world this year.. Emezi fashions her memoir into her journey as a writer – spiritually, physically and emotionally. There are, of course, elements of racism and homophobia. However, the story is as personal as it is communal in its themes. She conveys it all in an epistolary form – as letters to those closest to her heart. As a result, she lays bare her very soul and this very brutal veracity will both traumatise and liberate you.
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A sorrowful and plaintive meditation on loss and love, this novel finds acclaimed author Adichie talking about her father, who passed away to kidney failure in the summer of 2020. 2020. In addition to the stress and anxiety of a pandemic, this loss deepened her suffering even more. Also, this memoir, Adichie tries to find catharsis through her creative craft. In the process, she talks about loneliness, the importance of family and the cultural aspects of grief.
Rumours of Spring by Farah Bashir
Set against the postcard-like backdrop of 1990s Srinagar in Kashmir, this poignant coming of age memoir is abounding in delicacy and innocence. As vivid a picture as this is of the political strife in Kashmir, it is also an meditation on bygone girlhood and its complexities. As much as Bashir tells of the violence that impacted daily life, she also talks about her childhood crushes and pop song fandom. This novel details the blossoming of a woman, and paints a picture of the socio-political backdrop surrounding it.
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