Persepolis is a unique book that doesn’t adhere to what is expected in literature. It combines the personality and ease of reading a graphic novel with the depth of a non-fiction book, particularly a memoir. Specifically, this book follows Satrapi’s life as she grows through the Islamic Revolution. As a child, she becomes rebellious and seeks better out of the Islamic government. Later in her life, she keeps some elements but is subdued in others.
The Forerunner is an autobiography by Cori Bush who currently serves as the representative in the house for Missouri’s first congressional district. The book details her life before politics and how her experiences throughout her life have shaped her to be the person she is today. The book is really raw and honest and contains some heavy topics that Cori has experienced throughout her life, especially in her childhood.
Every Falling Star is a historical autobiography by Sungju Lee. In his autobiography, Sungju details his life in North Korea and his harrowing escape from the country. His story starts out in Pyongyang back when he was a child. His family includes his dad who is a military officer, his mom, his dog Bo Cho as well as his grandfather, who is a doctor and grandmother who is a former teacher.
Button Pusher by Tyler Page is about a boy named Tyler. Tyler is different from the other kids around him and sometimes does bizarre things that he doesn’t always remember. Tyler's home life is not that good as his parents are always fighting and his dad is really unpredictable and scary. He also spanks Tyler if he gets mad and his mom is too scared to do anything about it. At school, Tyler is always getting in trouble when working because he gets distracted very easily and he doesn’t listen to the teachers either.
A Child Called “it” is a memoir by Dave Pelzer. Dave’s mother was an alcoholic and brutally abused her son. Dave often had to fight for food and was tortured by his mother’s abuse. At first, it didn’t seem too bad, but as his mother’s games got worse, Dave realized that he would have to find a way to take care of himself and find help. I really liked reading this book, and I would definitely recommend it.
Night is a memoir by Elie Wiesel. The book is about his experiences as a Jewish teenager during the Holocaust. It follows his journey from a small town in Transylvania to various concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Buchenwald. In the camps, he witnesses and suffers from a lot of cruelty. His father is all he has left, but his father eventually dies, too. Elie was very faithful at the beginning of the book, but over time he begins to question what his faith has really gotten him.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, tells us the real story of Christopher McCandless, a 24 year old who abandoned his normal life and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Four months after venturing into the wild, he was found dead.
I highly recommend the autobiography, Born a Crime, written by Trevor Noah, which shares his experiences growing up in South Africa during the Apartheid era. Despite the serious issues he faced, Trevor’s comedic approach draws the reader in and keeps them engaged. The title of the book is derived from the fact that Trevor was “Born a crime” due to his mixed-race background, which was illegal during Apartheid.
Maya Angelou’s stunning memoir details her life as she grows up in the small town of Stamps, Arkansas, with her brother and grandmother, who she calls Momma as her true mother wasn’t able to take care of her and lives in sunny California with her boyfriend. Momma runs the only Store in the African American community of Stamps, providing Maya with warm memories with her town and family.
I Am Malala is an autobiography written by Malala Yousafzai. She wrote about her experience in Pakistan and the effect that the Taliban had on her, her family, and the society. In this book she details her childhood in Swat Valley, her struggle for education and the threats she and other girls who were willing to study faced from Taliban. Malala refused to listen to the ultimatum, so she spoke up and refused to not be silent about how she felt.
