Must-Read Hidden Gem Memoirs

In her debut memoir, Cinelle Barnes tells the story of her life growing up in the Philippines. As a small child, her family possessed unimaginable wealth. But when her parents lose everything and split up, Barnes’ stable home life evaporates, and she finds herself trapped in a crumbling mansion with a mother who doesn’t know how to care for her anymore. Full of resilience and strength, Barnes’ story captured my attention from the start, and her narration gives listeners an added layer of emotion to an already incredible story.

One of my favorite hidden gems, Reading with Patrick follows Michelle Kuo as she accepts a position as a Teach for America volunteer and moves to southern Mississippi. As a recent graduate of Harvard, Kuo believes herself to be up for any challenge, but in Mississippi, she faces the challenging task of teaching students from very different walks of life. Through Reading with Patrick, Kuo examines her own preconceived notions, learning more about her students and the community she now calls home. The perfect read for educators or listeners interested in life in the South, Kuo’s story is a beautiful example of the power of friendship and the deep connection human beings can have with one another.

When Julia Lee was in high school, she witnessed the riots in L.A. Her parents owned a business in the predominantly Black neighborhood. After the white police officers were acquitted of the beating of Rodney King, Lee realized that even though she wasn’t white, she still possessed a type of racial privilege. This experience informs her interest in examining race in literature. Her parents are also working-class immigrants, and Lee didn’t grow up with much, but she ends up attending an Ivy League school, where her working-class background has never been more apparent to her. Biting the Hand is an intersectional look at Lee’s experience growing up and living as an Asian American woman in the United States. Each essay takes on the topic from a different angle as Lee examines her experience as a multi-marginalized person who, at the same time, holds a lot of privilege in different areas of her life.

The daughter of Indian immigrants, Nishta J. Mehra feels pressure to be the perfect daughter. But when she figures out she’s attracted to both men and women, her parents balk at the idea, praising her when she dates men and criticizing her when she dates women. Eventually, Mehra falls in love with a white woman, and they get married and adopt a child together. Brown White Black is a beautiful memoir about the blending of a family, filled with different cultures and backgrounds, defying social norms and expectations about what a “normal” family should be. I found this memoir to be incredibly thought-provoking and meaningful, making me wish I could have stayed with this family for another 100+ pages.