memoirs

i always find myself reading memoirs and i end up really enjoying them. here are the last three i've read and really liked:




name all the animals by alison smith

i don't think i have read any memoir that wasn't a coming-of-age story; maybe i should seek one out for my next read. anyway, yeah this is the story of a girl who's brother is killed in a car accident and how she deals with the loss. i read it a few months ago so i don't remember it perfectly, but i do remember that i really enjoyed it.



goat by brad land

reading goat was probably the most unique reading experience i have ever had. it's strange to meet someone, actually spend a little time with them, and then read their work. it was terrible to read about the horrible, violent things happening to brad, when hours before we were hanging out and laughing with him. but i think regardless i would have found his book to be painful yet completely engrossing. his terse writing style may not be for everyone, but i loved it.


jesus land by julia scheeres

just finished this one yesterday. a great book about growing up in a religious home, racism, abuse, and the bond between siblings, even if it isn't through blood. julia is white and her adopted brother david is black. the first half of the book is about the abuse they experience at school and at home. it gave me a stark opposite to my childhood in a christian home, but here and there i found things that were familiar. i felt grateful that i did come from a loving family, rather than one that wields religion as a tool of hate and cruelty. the second half deals with the year that julia and david spent at a reform school in the dominican republic. as all of these books are, it is heartbreaking, but not void of hope.

bonus memoir!

an american childhood by annie dillard


i read this one five years ago and it's one of my favorite books ever. many thanks to troy for reading it, thinking of me, and following that through by sending me a copy. a great book on it's own, but even better to read if you have lived in pittsburgh. my favorite part is when dillard writes about her fascination with the giacometti sculpture at the carnegie art museum. it was and is one of my favorite pieces at the museum as well. i savored this book for months.

if anyone has any memoir recommendations i'd love to know!