Hidden Gems in Memoirs and Biographies

Nowhere Girl

A Memoir of A Fugitive Childhood

by Diamond, Cheryl

Book - 2021

Cheryl Diamond's account of her eccentric upbringing is fascinating and terrifying in equal parts, having led a thousand lives before her 18th birthday. A...Show more Cheryl Diamond's account of her eccentric upbringing is fascinating and terrifying in equal parts, having led a thousand lives before her 18th birthday. A riveting must-read for fans of Tara Westover's "Educated" and Jeannette Walls' "The Glass Castle." Show less

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Sigh, Gone

A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit in

by Tran, Phuc

Book - 2020

During the fall of Saigon in 1975, the Tran family left home and found safety in a small town in Pennsylvania. Phuc, the youngest, shares the pitfalls of ...Show more During the fall of Saigon in 1975, the Tran family left home and found safety in a small town in Pennsylvania. Phuc, the youngest, shares the pitfalls of being a recent immigrant of color while becoming a teen. Luckily, he begins working in a library and discovers punk rock and great literature. Tran's irreverent humor makes his story compelling and thought-provoking without becoming too heavy. Show less

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Let's Pretend This Never Happened

(a Mostly True Memoir)

by Lawson, Jenny

Book - 2013

The second line explains that this story "is basically like 'Little House in the Prairie' but with more cursing." And with that, you'll be hooke...Show more The second line explains that this story "is basically like 'Little House in the Prairie' but with more cursing." And with that, you'll be hooked. Enjoy this hilarious journey through Lawson's childhood with a taxidermist father and sister who was named the high school mascot. Read it and weep with laughter. Show less

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House Lessons

Renovating A Life

by Bauermeister, Erica

Book - 2020

In this memoir, the author and her family set out to restore a run-down house. Part architecture lesson and part life lesson, Bauermeister shines a light ...Show more In this memoir, the author and her family set out to restore a run-down house. Part architecture lesson and part life lesson, Bauermeister shines a light on the people and places that become home. Perfect for fans of Annie Proulx's "Bird Cloud" and those dreaming of a fixer-upper of their own. Show less

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A Pilgrimage to Eternity

From Canterbury to Rome in Search of A Faith

by Egan, Timothy

Book - 2019

On a journey of self-discovery, Egan shares stories about his life and the lives of his family members that take the reader by surprise, only then to have...Show more On a journey of self-discovery, Egan shares stories about his life and the lives of his family members that take the reader by surprise, only then to have Egan reel them back into the meditations of a man disturbed by Catholicism while understanding his spirituality and what it means to live in a world that often betrays us. So lyrical, funny and heartbreaking that it's difficult to put down. Show less

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Persepolis

by Satrapi, Marjane

Graphic Novel - 2003

This graphic biography chronicles Satrapi's childhood in Iran during the reign of Ayatollah Khomeini, her love of her activist uncle, who was executed for...Show more This graphic biography chronicles Satrapi's childhood in Iran during the reign of Ayatollah Khomeini, her love of her activist uncle, who was executed for his political activism, and her subsequent enrollment at an all-girls school in Vienna. A beautifully drawn and sad but rewarding story of a woman who remains true to her headstrong nature. Show less

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The Ugly Cry

A Memoir

by Henderson, Danielle

Book - 2021

Abandoned by her mother at 10, Henderson was sent to live with her grandparents in upstate New York. As a biracial kid, much of her formative years were s...Show more Abandoned by her mother at 10, Henderson was sent to live with her grandparents in upstate New York. As a biracial kid, much of her formative years were spent as an outsider. But her grandmother's feisty, foul-mouthed style helped shape her into a strong and sassy woman. Show less

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A Long Way Gone

Memoirs of A Boy Soldier

by Beah, Ishmael

Book - 2008

At the age of 25, Beah looks back with a soft and thoughtful heart and describes how he became a child soldier capable of terrible acts. A singular work, you won't forget this story from a gentle person who survived a landscape of chaos and horror. At the age of 25, Beah looks back with a soft and thoughtful heart and describes how he became a child soldier capable of terrible acts. A singular work, you won't forget this story from a gentle person who survived a landscape of chaos and horror. Show less

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This Body I Wore

A Memoir

by Goetsch, Diana

Book - 2022

Given the visibility of transgender persons today, it's hard to imagine just how recently it was when the trans community lacked the words to describe the...Show more Given the visibility of transgender persons today, it's hard to imagine just how recently it was when the trans community lacked the words to describe their feelings. Born in the mid-1960s, Diana spent the first 50 years of her life feeling like the only one of her kind. This beautifully written memoir tells the story of her journey of discovery and acceptance. Show less

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Year of No Garbage

Recycling Lies, Plastic Problems, and One Woman's Trashy Journey to Zero Waste : A Memoir

by Schaub, Eve O.

Book - 2023

Take a humorous, eye-opening look at garbage, and plastic in particular. The author and her family commit to creating no garbage for a year and find out l...Show more Take a humorous, eye-opening look at garbage, and plastic in particular. The author and her family commit to creating no garbage for a year and find out lots of shocking information along the way. A real call to political change. As important to waste as "The Jungle" was to food supply! Show less

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Smoke Gets in your Eyes

And Other Lessons From the Crematory

by Doughty, Caitlin

Book - 2014

Nothing about being a mortician or working at a crematorium should be funny, but Doughty's story will make you laugh a hundred times over! From the host of the popular YouTube show: "Ask a Mortician." Nothing about being a mortician or working at a crematorium should be funny, but Doughty's story will make you laugh a hundred times over! From the host of the popular YouTube show: "Ask a Mortician." Show less

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The Stranger in the Woods

The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

by Finkel, Michael

Book - 2017

The unbelievable true story of a man who just walked off into the woods of Maine and decided to live there by himself for 27 years. The unbelievable true story of a man who just walked off into the woods of Maine and decided to live there by himself for 27 years. Show less

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Belonging

A German Reckons With History and Home

by Krug, Nora

Graphic Novel - 2018

A fascinating look at one young woman's grappling with her German identity. Told in a beautiful multimedia graphic novel format. A fascinating look at one young woman's grappling with her German identity. Told in a beautiful multimedia graphic novel format. Show less

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Taste

My Life Through Food

by Tucci, Stanley

Book - 2021

Part memoir, part cookbook, this book takes you on a delicious journey through Tucci's life through the lens of his Italian family's favorite foods and drinks. Have a pen and paper handy to copy down all of the recipes and try for yourself! Part memoir, part cookbook, this book takes you on a delicious journey through Tucci's life through the lens of his Italian family's favorite foods and drinks. Have a pen and paper handy to copy down all of the recipes and try for yourself! Show less

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Personalized Recommendations — Just for You!

https://jeffcolibrary.org/just-for-you/

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This list was created by JCPL staff. Need a good book, movie or TV show? Recommendations are one of our favorite things to share! Tell us about your preferences, and a real librarian will create a custom list just for you. This list was created by JCPL staff. Need a good book, movie or TV show? Recommendations are one of our favorite things to share! Tell us about your preferences, and a real librarian will create a custom list just for you. Show less

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