Five Memorable Memoirs

Hello lovely readers! Hope ya’ll had a wonderful Halloween/Reformation day! My family and I enjoyed dressing up as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (one of my daughter’s favorite books) and taking my toddler for her first trick or treating. 

Most of the time, about 90%, I read/listen to fiction novels. My main exceptions are books about homesteading, crafting, education, history, and biographies/memoirs. When I am stuck in a funk and want inspiration, I venture to my local library and browse the biography shelves. Memoirs to me are the perfect bridge between fiction and nonfiction reading; the people are real but the writing style is more narrative, allowing me to get sucked into their life story. I suppose you could say the same for historical fiction (which I also enjoy) but knowing that the person behind the story is real makes it even more fascinating to me. 

Memoirs also create opportunities for tangential learning, which I personally love. People closest to me know how much I love trivia and fun facts. Memoirs have so much to teach and comment about, past just one person’s life. Many of my favorite memoirs teach me about a particular subculture or historical era in addition to the person’s life. So I thought I would introduce 5 memoirs that I have loved over the years. Maybe it will inspire you to give memoirs a try!

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

I was first introduced to Ernest Hemingway by my dad (and the public school system). I found him and many of the ‘Lost Generation’ authors to have fascinating lives and compelling literary voices. My favorite of Hemingway’s books is actually his memoir of his time living in Paris. A Moveable Feast, published posthumously, focuses on his, along with his first wife Hadley and son Jack, life in Paris during the 1920s. At the time, many people had relocated to Paris, to surround themselves with history and art after the traumatic events of WWI. Hemingway’s time was filled with writing in cafes and interactions with other now famous authors including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound.I enjoyed this book so much that I used it as a guide while visiting Paris as a teenager, to see where he lived and the places he frequented, many of which are still standing. Hemingway’s style is known for being minimalistic yet his descriptions of Paris are breathtaking and filled with amazing detail. If you ever wanted to be immersed in 1920s Paris, this is a must read. 

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast”.

My Life in Paris by Julia Child

Years ago, I saw the movie Julie &Julia, starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep. While I couldn’t stand Julie or her story, I was fascinated by Julia Child. Her portion of the movie was pulled from this memoir. My Life in Paris follows Julia Child and her husband after World War II, when they were relocated to Paris for his work. Julia, who had worked before her marriage, was unsure how to spend her time in this new city. Inspired by her love of food, she began taking cooking classes at the famous Le Cordon Bleu and earned her diploma in 1951. She was later approached by Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck about writing a French cookbook for American women. The rest is history. Like A Moveable Feast, this memoir makes you feel as if you are walking the streets of Paris. I also feel that Julia Child’s narration allows a deep, intimate look into her thoughts and trepidations during her newly married life. The book does just include later parts of her life/career, including parts outside of Paris, but her memories of Paris are what stand out the most. I would recommend this book to anyone but especially those who enjoy the woman who was larger than life. 

“In Paris in the 1950s, I had the supreme good fortune to study with a remarkably able group of chefs. From them I learned why good French food is an art, and why it makes such sublime eating: nothing is too much trouble if it turns out the way it should".

Educated by Tara Westover

This book was highly praised when it debuted in 2018 and it deserves it! Educated is about a young woman who was raised in a survivalist/end of world prepper family, one who did not allow her to have any formal education. She loves her family dearly but also wants to break out, which she later does by attending college. The writing eloquently showcases her struggle of wanting formal education yet not wanting to disappoint or alienate herself from her family. Westover has a lot of great moments of self reflection and finds the courage to go for what she wants- I find that inspiring. My only concern about this book are those (and you can find these type of reviews) who equate what she went through as ‘homeschooling/homesteading is bad’. This does not and should not represent all homesteaders/homeschoolers, only her own experience. Overall, a powerful read.

 *Warning: there is talk of abuse

“The decisions I made after that moment were not the ones she would have made. They were the choices of a changed person, a new self.

You could call this selfhood many things. Transformation. Metamorphosis. Falsity. Betrayal.

I call it an education”

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

If you want just the coziest of books, run, now walk but RUN, and grab All Creatures Great and Small. James Herriot is about a new Veterinarian who joins a practice in rural Yorkshire in the late 1930s/1940s. Things are not as cut and dry as vet school and he must learn how to care for animals in ways he never imagined. This book is so wonderful, filled with moments of laughter and sadness. I also learnt so much about animals and animal health, which was unexpected but great!   It is not ‘action packed’ but it is so easy to get lost in the days described. This is actually a memoir series  (I have only read the first but hope to read the rest) and has also been made into films and tv shows (including a 2020 revival that is still ongoing). Definitely check this one out!

“The love for all creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”

A Spoonful of Sugar by Brenda Ashford

So, I found this gem while browsing the library bookshelves and I feel compelled to give it love. As the title hints at, A Spoonful of Sugar is about the life of a real British nanny (no, not Mary Poppins). So, what’s so great about that? Brenda Ashford was, at the time, the oldest living nanny and cared for children for 62 years! Not only that, but the beginning of her career happened during WWII! She was trained at Norland College, famed for producing top tier nannies, and soon after worked with children who were sent to the country during the war. This story is fascinating, both for what she saw and did and for the strength of her character. In her life she dealt with war, love, loss, and all the various historical and cultural changes in Britain. Speaking of culture, you learn so much about how British culture evolved throughout the 20th century-it’s fascinating! This memoir is not well known here in the United States but I urge you to find a copy. 

"Little folk deserve a childhood that's full of fun. It's the single most valuable lesson in my eyes"

I hope you enjoyed this post! Do you enjoy reading memoirs? If so, what is one you would recommend? Also, would you enjoy another post on memoirs in the future? Please comment below, on our Facebook Group Lady Bookish, or on my Instagram @ladybookishblog. 

Happy Reading!

Lady Bookish