Mary Ross | Site Director
Memoirs are a wonderful way to intimately connect to other people in their lives that would be impossible otherwise. Reading the memoirs of people who have changed the world in their own unique way can be inspiring. The following memoirs range people from a wide variety of backgrounds, but each add a unique spin to the world we all know.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates’s book Between the World and Me is written as a letter to his son, but serves as a letter to every reader about what it is like to grow up Black in the United States . Filled with autobiographical stories of Coates’s childhood while combining the history of the States that explains why life is like it is. This memoir is a must read, especially as the fight for equality continues today.
The Boys in the Boat
A memoir about the 1936 United States Olympic rowing team that competed in Berlin, this is a must read for any sports fan or fan of underdog stories. Starting at the University of Washington, this story shows the tryouts and preparation for rowing competitions in the United States. Eventually narrowing the team down to 9 men, the University of Washington’s team begins winning matches big and small that eventually win them the title of the United States Olympic Rowing Team. But more than just focusing on the team, this memoir also features the rising political climate in Germany and their preparation for hosting the Olympics.
Recollections of my Nonexistence: A Memoir by Rebecca Solnit
This memoir follows author and feminist activist Rebecca Solnit as she grows up in San Francisco. Tackling themes of violence against women, poverty, gay communities and more, Solnit reflects on her upbringing. Ultimately, she shows how her individual experiences of violence and oppression are a result of a systemic problem of who is respected and who is silenced — also known as sexism. But the memoir has a positive note. Solnit describes how she overcame being silence growing up to become a voice for change, showing how any person who has been silenced has the ability to do the same.
Uncanny Valley by Anna Wierner
Uncanny Valley follows Wierner’s personal life as she moves from her book publishing job in New York City for San Francisco and its promise of a new digital economy. After landing a job in the Silicon Valley bubble, Wierner shows the tremendous cultural shift, how it impacted her, and much more. This memoir gives insight into the process of a tech start-up and how quickly these start-ups can go up and up on the monetary side but down on the moral side.
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
This true story follows the story of Beah, who at 12 years old, lost his home and was forced to join the army. Taking place in Sierra Leone, a country torn up by civil war, Beah found himself committing and witnessing much violence. Eventually, though he was rescued by UNICEF, he went through extensive rehabilitation to redefine the version of himself that developed as a child in war. This moving memoir is one of heartbreak and violence, but also of human resilience.
Night by Elie Wiesel
Wiesel’s story is also that of heartbreak and violence. Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night tells the story of his experiences in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. He gets separated from his family, tells of the selection process, and so much more. This story is absolutely devastating but one that must be read to preserve the memory of the atrocities that happened.
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