14 Uplifting Autobiographies & Memoirs By Remarkable Women

Prepare to be inspired by some incredible women.

If you ever think to yourself “I can’t”, think again. Women are capable of anything and everything, and if you needed to be reminded of that, these books are a great source of inspiration and encouragement. Ahead, we’re sharing our favourite autobiographies and memoirs by remarkable women who’ve shown incredible strength, determination and resilience in the face of oppression and adversity.

Read more: 8 Inspiring Autobiographies & Memoirs To Read

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

This wildly funny, and occasionally heartbreaking, internationally bestselling memoir by former Sunday Times columnist Dolly Alderton covers the trials and triumph of becoming an adult, learning to navigate friendships, jobs, love, loss, and realising your are enough. With sharp wit and insight it skilfully weaves together personal stories, satirical observations and other vignettes that women at any life stage will find relatable.

Head here to buy now.

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Takeaway: Stories From a Childhood Behind the Counter by Angela Hui

Growing up in a Chinese Takeaway shop in rural Wales, Angela Hui (who has since had her work published in the BBC, Guardian, Independent and more) learned at a very young age just how different she and her family were viewed by her local community. From attacks on the shopfront (also their home), to verbal abuse from customers (including one confrontation that ended with her dad wielding a meat cleaver), Angela takes us through the lows, but also shares the beauty and joy that food and family brought to her life. Bonus recipes included!

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Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

Known to have produced a number of bold and outspoken characters in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal”, you may be surprised to learn that Shonda Rhimes is an introvert who has hired a publicist to avoid public appearances and suffered panic attacks before media interviews. From one of Hollywood’s most powerful women, this poignant, intimate and hilarious memoir reveals how saying “yes” changed her life in profound ways – and how it can change yours too.

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I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Not just for those who grew up watching “iCarly” and “Sam & Cat”, former child actress Jennette McCurdy’s controversially named memoir “I’m Glad My Mom Died”, was met with great acclaim from readers, Booktubers and critics alike. The book details her struggles with eating disorders and addiction growing up, her complicated relationship with her overbearing mother – and how she regained control of her life.

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We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib

Samra Habib spent most of her youth searching for the safety to be herself – a queer Ahmadi muslim girl. Her parents ingrained in her the fear that revealing her identity could put her in grave danger. When she and her family moved to Canada as refugees, Samra began her exploration of faith, art, love and queer sexuality, overcoming bullies, racism, the threat of poverty and an arranged marriage. An inspiring testament to the power of fearlessly embracing one’s truest self, “We Have Always Been Here” is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt out of place.

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In Order To Live by Yeonmi Park

In this poignant memoir, North Korean-born Yeonmi Park shines a light onto the darkest corners of her home country and confronts her own painful memories, from being sold into sexual slavery and suffering terrible psychological hardship, before finally making her way to Seoul, South Korea. Now a human rights activist working to bring attention to the oppression taking place in North Korea, Park’s testimony is heart-rending and unimaginable, but never abandons hope.

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I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

An obvious choice for this list, this 21st century classic details Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala’s courageous battle against the Taliban for her right to education. The memoir also provides a fascinating insight into day-to-day life in Pakistan under the regime, Malala’s relationship with her activist father, and the assassination attempt made against her when she was just 15.

Head here to buy now.

Girl Decoded: My Quest to Make Technology Emotionally Intelligent – and Change the Way We Interact Forever by Rana el Kaliouby

As a Muslim woman at the helm of a field that is still overwhelmingly white and male, Rana el Kaliouby is considered a rarity in both the tech world and her native Middle East. In this engrossing memoir, she takes us through her journey of personal transformation from being a “nice Egyptian girl” to learning how to express and act on her own emotions.

Head here to buy now.

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The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya

This riveting coming-of-age memoir follows Clemantine Wamariya’s childhood as a motherless Rwandan refugee, and how she eventually found safety and success in an unwelcoming America. Though far from a feel-good story, “The Girl Who Smiled Beads” reminds us to look beyond the label of “victim” and is a touching display of how one’s imagination can transcend even the deepest injuries and aftershocks.

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More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth

Part-manifesto, part-memoir, “More Than Enough” follows the career of Elaine Welteroth who became Teen Vogue’s youngest Editor in Chief at 29. The trailblazing editor, known for infusing social consciousness into the pages of the teen magazine, shares the struggles of being a barrier breaker and what it really means to come into your own.

Head here to buy now.

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Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller

Sexual assault survivor Chanel Miller, known to the world at the time as Emily Doe, shocked millions with her victim impact statement which went viral after it was published online by BuzzFeed. Here, she shares the aftermath of the assault and the trial, using the book as an attempt to reclaim her narrative identity and describe the trauma she went through after being referred to as “an unconscious intoxicated woman” in the press.

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Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zanier

Written by the indie rockstar of Japanese Breakfast fame and author of the viral 2018 New Yorker essay of the same name, this heartwarming New York Times best-selling memoir is a beautiful tale of family, food and grief. The singer shares intimate anecdotes of growing up Korean American, and how her mother’s diagnosis of terminal cancer forced a reckoning with her muddled identity and brought her to rediscover the flavours, language and history her mother cherished.

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Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood by Cheryl Diamond

“By the age of nine, I will have lived in more than a dozen countries, on five continents, under six assumed identities.” “Nowhere Girl” is an impossible-to-believe true story of one girl’s childhood growing up in a family of fugitive outlaws. Cheryl’s life as a young child is for the most part joyful and exciting, but things get darker as she grows older and she’s faced with the realisation that her life might be one big con.

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My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor

In recounting her early life, the first Hispanic (and third) woman to sit on United States Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor describes her childhood with an alcoholic father and overburdened mother, and how in spite of her circumstances, she pursued her dream of one day becoming a lawyer. Along the way, we see how she was shaped by her invaluable mentors, making her a beacon of hope for generations to come.

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