Some of these books I read years ago and they have stayed with me.
1. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand...the story of Louie Zamperini, an American Olympian, WWII air force officer, a POW in Japan, and an around hero. I haven't seen the movie but the book is amazing. Hillenbrand is an awesome writer.
2. Night by Elie Weisel...this shocking and touching holocaust story is probably one of the most accessible to students or those new to the atrocities done to the Jews by the Nazis.
3. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt...I met McCourt one year before he died. He read a section from his sequel, Teacher Man. I love the voice of both his memoir and his actual voice. I recommend this one in the audiobook format.
4. Winterdance by Gary Paulsen...this is a memoir of Paulsen's experiences running the Iditarod after training the sled dogs. This book is laugh-out-loud funny.
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls...this memoir begins when Walls looks out the window of a restaurant to see her mother going through the dumpster across the street. It goes back to explain the trials of her childhood growing up with mentally ill and alcoholic parents.
6. Falling Leaves: a true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter by Adeline Yen Mah...I was so touched by this book. I cried my way through it.
7. Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza...three parts horrifying, two parts inspiring.
8. Steve Jobs: Insanely Great a graphic biography by Jessie Hartland...This book isn't even published yet but I think it is insanely awesome, too.
9. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom...the incredibly inspiring story of how Corrie and her sister hid Jews during Nazi occupation in The Netherlands and were sent to a concentration camp for it. It is tremendous faith story.
10. Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: the epic life and immortal photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan...You would recognize a few of his sepia-toned photographs of Native Americans, like the one of Chief Joseph. Thank goodness for Edward Curtis and his work.
Oh, this is a great list! I've read a good chunk of those but you've introduced me to a few new ones. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat list, Anne! I love memoirs!! You included a few of my faves here, including Unbroken and The Glass Castle. Our sons loved Paulsen's YA books, starting with Hatchet and all its sequels - we used to listen to them on audio during road trips :)
ReplyDeleteSue
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