Inspiring female memoirs!!

[Fern]

Hi all!

I love reading powerful and inspiring female memoirs and would love any recommendations for further reads!

I recently read Riot Days which was a powerful memoir by Maria Alyokhina of her detainment in Russia and the story of Pussy Riot. It was quite recently published and doesn’t have too many reviews on Goodreads but I would reccomend it definitely!

I also absolutely loved The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story - the story was so moving and I have been recommending it to everyone! Especially as it’s currently only £1.49 on kindle!

Im currently reading the classic Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China which is a memoir of three generations of women in China and I’ve also just started reading Infidel.

I have quite a long TBR list of further memoirs but I’m looking to expand it even further:
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced
Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman's Awakening
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom
First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers
The Girl from Aleppo: Nujeen's Escape from War to Freedom
Stars Between the Sun and Moon: One Woman's Life in North Korea and Escape to Freedom
The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine

Does anyone have any other recommendations of inspiring female memoirs?? They’re my fave type of book to read and I’d love to hear from everyone regarding what their favourites are!
xoxo

[Vivian]

I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban - Book I am planning to read in the future
Educated: A Memoir - reading this one for Andrew Luck's book club

[Cendaquenta]

I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More
Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary (biography, not memoir, but certainly excellent and inspiring!)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir
Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging
The Gender Games: The Problem with Men and Women, from Someone Who Has Been Both
Nasty Women (essays)

These I haven't read but they're on my TBR:

Where Am I Now?
This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare
Zami: A New Spelling of my Name
The Last Black Unicorn
The Argonauts
In the Days of Rain: A Daughter, a Father, a Cult
H is for Hawk
Odd Girl Out: An Autistic Woman in a Neurotypical World
Red Dust Road: An Autobiographical Journey
Educated
Men We Reaped: A Memoir
She Called Me Woman

[Charlene]

West with the Night

[Dwimirnani]

The Sound of the Wind
Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter

[Leslie]

His Eye is on the Sparrow by Ethel Waters - old book, but really impressed me when I was young.

[Kate]

I've read a few you've mentioned and some mentioned by other members above -- definitely recommend When They Call You a Terrorist

Other ones I've enjoyed:
Female memoirs:
*The Favored Daughter: One Woman's Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future
*My Beloved World
*My Life on the Road
*My Life, My Love, My Legacy
*Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family
*A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School
*It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War
*Not Either an Experimental Doll: The Separate Worlds of Three South African Women
*Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging

Female refugee memoirs:
*Do They Hear You When You Cry
*How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child
*The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After
*Desert Flower

And here are a few on my TBR list:
*Danger Close: My Epic Journey as a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan
*The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State
*Becoming
*Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower
*We're Going to Need More Wine
*The Things I Would Tell You: British Muslim Women Write
*Nasty Women
*A History of Britain in 21 Women

I use the Female biography book lists on A Mighty Girl blog (and Facebook page) for inspiration: https://www.amightygirl.com/blog/tag/...

Thanks for the recommendations, Fern and for starting this thread! Happy reading all!

[MeerderWörter]

Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog and Richard Erdoes

Seriously, I think that basically everyone should read this book.

And also:

Intersex

[Sarah]

The Wind in my Hair by Masih Alinejad

[Aimee]

Mean Little Deaf Queer by Terry Galloway

[Jordan]

Unbowed by Wangari Maathai. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.

[Shana]

The Road From Coorain by Jill Ker Conway

Labgirl, very different and lyrical

Infidel

and just got How Dare The Sun Rise from the library

[Noina]

I recommend Life Among the Savages because it is funny, quirky, creative and ironic ! Very far from most of the books you suggested, but worth a read !
If you read French, I suggest you try Annie Ernaux's books. She is a huge reference for French-speaking feminists. (Oh, no need to read French, she's been translated... !)

[Bri]

Still Alive: A Holocaust Girlhood Remembered by Ruth Kluger

[Kimberly Dawn]

Breaking Night a memoir by Liz Murray

[Kimberly Dawn]

The Lost Chapters by Leslie Schwartz

[Kimberly Dawn]

Hunger by Roxanne Gay

[Danielle]

Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War by Leymah Gbowee

... and watch the documentary "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" as well!

Both so good!

[Emma]

Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee