15 Best Biographies and Memoirs about Inspiring Women

The article encourages readers to explore the world of best female biographies and memoirs, which can offer insight into the lives of others and inspiring female biographies.

Biographies and memoirs are important because they can teach us about history, inspire us, increase empathy and understanding, and demonstrate the power of human resilience.

Biography and memoir are a field that cannot be completely excluded from history, and at the same time, they inevitably have a high degree of literature. 

The protagonist of a book is a person. Although he has really existed, it is inevitable to use a literary writing style to let readers understand this person's life, his personal choices, and his personal thoughts.

When it comes to memoirs with relatively high literary value, I think of the memoirs of some writers or poets. Their works are very literary in themselves, and the memoirs themselves are full of personal emotions. 

Therefore, these memoirs look at the period of history they lived in from the perspective of writers, and are very worth reading.

 

15 Best Women Biographies and Memoirs Books That Will Inspire You of All Time 

Our society was a male-centered society, and the vast majority of women lived in seclusion in the boudoir, living a life isolated from the outside world, and there were very few women's biographies or memoirs left behind. 

Over the past hundred years, with the process of women's liberation, more and more women have stepped out of the family, made contributions, and put their lives into words. 

In gentle words, there are deep feelings, full of many historical lessons and life enlightenment.

We selected 15 best inspiring female biographies and memoirs and recommended them to female compatriots on the education front for your selection. Happy holidays everyone! Youth forever!

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama

After reading the guide, I was attracted and spent three days reading it. Successful people have reasons for their success. 

The influence of family and initial education, the environment in which they grow up and the people they associate with, their own strength and quality of thinking, and education are all really important. 

The first half is narrated, humorously telling about her childhood, growing up, education experience at Princeton and Harvard, and how she fell in love with Obama step by step and entered into marriage. 

The second half talks about how she balances politics and life after becoming the first lady, how to leave personal privacy under the complete protection mechanism of the White House, and so on. 

The black, female, working class, living in a decaying neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, the combination of these factors can be said to "lose" at the starting line. 

But through her continuous efforts, education changed her destiny, and she finally stepped into the upper class, bringing positive influence to tens of millions of people. 

The whole book was an inspiring read. Also, Michelle has really made no secret of her distaste for Trump...

2. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Breathtaking. Heartbreaking. I've always been envious of Joan Didion, envious of how she can craft simple words into meaningful, heart-hitting stories. 

A very mature writing style, without gorgeous rhetoric, can convey strong feelings.

The author has excessive self-awareness, analyzes the pain, analyzes the memories, and continues to analyze himself after the end. 

The journal in various senses of the article is full of details that I can't resonate with at all. When I read it, I always feel that this book is actually written by the author to vent his feelings, just like a diary. 

I don't know where magical thinking is. It would be more accurate to call it "Diary of a Widowed Husband". 

I understand that memories are made up of fragments, and I don't mean that I hate details, but without strong emotional support that readers are familiar with, unfamiliar details will only become strangers. 

A universal topic like death is buried by the author in a pile of overly detailed journals, scientific research on sadness, and self-analysis. 

But it’s not that I can’t find the same feeling at all. When I read it, my thoughts often drift away, and I feel that although some people I know are not dead, the relationship between us is basically as if he died... 

But then again, I have no experience Having lost (or even gained?!), I may not have stood with the author from the very beginning.

3. Orange is the new black by Piper Kerman

Piper Kierman gave a very accurate and detailed description of her life in prison. No, I've never been in prison. 

But she did come from the understanding that her life as an upper-middle-class white woman gave her advantages in and out of prison versus the women whose lives were as minorities and lower-income people who happened to be in prison. 

For many of them, this was not their first offense. They knew people who were already in prison. 

And because they did not earn much in or have people who earned much money outside of the prison, they were not able to afford and have many of the books and packages and perks that Piper Kierman had when she was there in the women's prison. 

I really appreciate her empathy for other women in the prison and how she was able to go beyond her little circle of white middle-class women stuck in prison and interact with other people. 

I enjoyed reading about how they used prison food to make food that was comforting to them and that they ate when they were back in society. 

And this always helps people food tie each other together in a community. 

I understand why her book was found and made into a TV program. It was definitely something that would hold a pill for many people. 

One thing that I hope as a result of it is that reforms will be made to the advantage of those who are disadvantaged and disenfranchised in prisons. And that is something that we can continue to hope for in the future.

4. Just Kids by Patti Smith

When I read the chapter where Patti met Robert in Brooklyn, I thought the whole book would develop in such a relaxed and happy tone. 

Unfortunately, both of them got lost in their obsessed art. The most memorable scene was when Robert was smoking a cigarette at the entrance of the museum and waiting for Patti to see the exhibition because he had no money to buy two tickets. 

I thought this was the happiest period for them until the moment Robert died. 

They had dreams and Each other, I have never experienced the poverty of an artist, and I have never experienced how it feels to feed myself with dreams, but I know that such childlike purity is not something everyone can do, except you have a heart Purely out of heart, you still need to find another child. 

I am sincerely happy for them, although in the end friendship replaced love and accompanied them all their lives.

5. The Liars Club by Mary Karr

Mary Karr tells a very witty account of her childhood full of pain, fear, and uncertainty. It's about her alcoholic, mentally ill mother; her silent, patient father; her messy home life, and her experience of rape. Her childhood took place in a backward industrial area of ​​Texas. 

She described the American South in the 1950s and 1960s with vivid and loving brushstrokes: hunting and eating game, playing in the wild, religious fanatic neighbors, father's clothes always stained with factory oil, a mother who was underappreciated... this

book Possibly the autobiography of the world's most painful childhood. There's mental illness, ostracism, domestic murder, the unspeakable terror of a young animal, and a child's ability to feel joy even in the midst of pain.

Mary Karr is best known as the predecessor of David Foster Wallace. And I think David Foster Wallace borrowed or even copied many elements of her work in writing. 

When I read the biography of David Foster Wallace, I can also feel that the relationship between the two may include not only love and admiration but also deep jealousy. 

Mary Karr's writing, in my opinion, is more natural than David's blunt, awkward, and deep humor. 

You might get the feeling that David struggles with humor, but Mary Karr has it at his fingertips. 

I think her ability is because she is a woman and has a natural sympathy --- she doesn't feel flustered and unconfident like David when it comes to love and conveying emotions; it's because her life is real. 

Too ridiculous, a humorous contrast between the pain of the absurd and the love of life. She can transfer this absurdity to paper at will.

6. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

The next book I read after "The Audacity of Hope" was "Girls Interrupted". It describes the life of a girl, Susana, who is mentally disordered. This is a very interesting and well-written book. I liked it a lot.

One of my favorite pages is the doctor's note on Susana's case, and it records the evidence indicating Susana's illness. 

The following is the abstract version of that note: 

1. The chaotic unplanned life.
2. Hopeless ideas.
3. No therapy and no plans
4. Immersion in fantasy.

After I closed the book, my heart is flooded with fear toward Doctors...I am often called a "Doctor". But you know, what type of Doctors I am talking about here?

I absolutely need to make sure that they are at least 2 miles away from me. 

I suddenly realize that the reason I am still so mentally healthy and have an unlocked-up life is that I haven't met a doctor yet. 

Overall, it is a fun book to read...My favorite joke in that book: Someone in the ice cream shop asked Susanna: Do you need some nuts on your ice cream????

7. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

A book that constantly revises its own views. For a while, I felt very warm, especially in the relationship between father and daughter. 

After a while, I felt, no, this is unforgivable to the parents. Most of the time, the things I do go far beyond the category of "I don't want to grow up". 

To say dysfunctional is considered a compliment, full of self-righteousness, selfishness, and irresponsibility. 

Fortunately, the children found their own way out. There is a scene in which the author's university teacher asks her why she thinks that someone is willing to sleep on the street, which is really ironic when I think about it. 

This is a world that the so-called elites cannot understand. Thanks to the author for not forgetting to write it down and leave a record. 

What I listened to was the version read by the author herself. She imitated her father's accent very vividly; every time my father said "mountain goat", he could feel a deep affection.

8. The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston

Fantastic indeed. No Name Woman brings on the context and constrictions in old China, opening with a strong emotional and stereotypical suicide history concerning adultery. 

The girl in "The Woman Warrior" was born in the United States and belongs to the second generation of immigrants. She also struggles between two cultures. But more, she is influenced by Chinese culture. 

Influenced by the strange powers and gods in Chinese culture. Influenced by Magic Realism. Like South America, China also has soil rich in magical realism. The Chinese culture has always had these. It's part of our lives. 

Our concept of ghosts and gods, our Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism are just like foreign religions, they are all part of our life.

9. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Before I got the book, I had heard so much about the author, about how great the book is, and about how people's lives changed because of it. 

I started the book with caution, but soon my caution caved in under Liz's special sense of humor. The way she describes her first-time meditation brought me back to my first clumsy meditation try-out moment where I couldn't control my thoughts at all, I may have 2 seconds of silence but always ended up thinking again like this "Yeah!! 2 seconds!!".

In addition, I love the wording in the book, I learned many new words and expressions.

I would like to add the author's TED speech. This speech ranks in the top three among nearly a thousand TED speeches (based on the audience's "Favorite" vote), especially since the second half of the speech is excellent. Elizabeth is the kind of person with a lot of wisdom. This is reflected in her texts and speeches.

10. Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala

The author lost her husband, two sons, and parents in the 2004 South Asian tsunami. 

This book records the occurrence of the disaster, her rescue, and the road to psychological reconstruction that takes up the largest part of the text. 

This road to redemption is as narrow as a blade, and every step she takes is like walking on a blade; she goes from refusing to face reality to slowly accepting it, to the past and the past that will be interrupted by the disaster through constant memories of getting along with her family. 

Connected now, finally gaining relative peace. Its honest and emotional narrative is moving. This book is honest, real, and worth reading.

11. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl strayed thought she had lost everything in the wake of her mother's death her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed four years later with nothing more to lose she made the most impulsive decision of her life with no experience or training driven only by blind 

she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington state and she would do it alone told with suspense and style sparkling with warmth and humor Wilde powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman 

forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened strengthened and ultimately healed her oh man this book has it all tragedy drugs lust infidelity nature humor adventure the human freaking condition I loved so many things about this beauty slash beast of a book even though it made me cry at least four times 

This book has so many good elements the slapstick of the monster backpack the sweet random friends met on the trail the heart-crushing divorce the battered boots and feet the books read and burned for warmth and the bittersweet memories of a broken family 

This is a book that so many people will fall in love with when it comes out next March but more than that it's a book that will love you back.

12. Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward

Men We Reaped is a stunning memoir of pain and rural America written by national book award-winning author Jasmine Ward chronicles the stories of five young men all close friends or family who died tragically during a four-year span. 

While Ward pursued her master of fine arts at the University of Michigan with sharp prose and often devastating candor Ward weaves these stories and her own into the broader narratives of her hometown in the rural South and America's national legacy of Poverty and racism. 

Men We Reap is brutal in its honesty and at times a difficult book to read but Ward's astonishing voice and haunting descriptions make it worth every page.

13. Blackout by Sarah Hepola

Blackout by Sarah Hepola is a reflection on hable as 25 years of drinking often to the point of blackout Heppell's writing is touching smart and honest one of my biggest fears in going into books like these is that I won't be able to relay that 

somehow I will have to be a drinker who is prone to blackouts in order to understand the story but that's not the case here as someone who has drank copes that were more than enough really anyone who has ever used anything to mask their feelings whether it was. 

food or sarcasm or shitty television can take something away from this book Heppell amuses about her own perfectionism about her anxiety about not being enough about female friendships and these are things that even sober people can relate to picking this up if you're in the mood. 

For a book about a woman who has struggled but who has managed to find compassion for herself on the other side of that struggle.

14. I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron

I Feel Bad About My Neck is a witty and honest collection of essays by Nora Ephron the acclaimed author and filmmaker the book deals with the universal experience of aging and its impact on women, particularly in terms of their physical appearance Ephron's writing style is engaging and conversational. 

making the book a quick and enjoyable read she seamlessly weaves personal anecdotes and observations with cultural commentary making the reader feel like they are having a conversation with a close friend one of the strengths of I Feel Bad About My Neck is its relatability anyone.

Who has ever felt self-conscious about their aging body will find a kindred spirit in Ephron's words her essays cover topics like the indignities of getting a haircut the joys of turtlenecks and the frustrations of trying to find the perfect purse. 

it all Ephron maintains a sense of humor and a refreshing lack of pretension at the same time the book is not just a light-hearted romp through middle age Ephron also tackles more serious topics such as the loss of friends and loved ones.

and the struggle to maintain a sense of self as one age these essays are poignant and heartfelt demonstrating Ephron's depth as a writer overall I Feel Bad About My Neck is a charming and insightful book that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled with the aging process. 

it is a testament to Ephron's talent that she can tackle such a personal and emotional subject with humor.

15. Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

A frank, smart, and captivating memoir by the daughter of Apple founder Steve Jobs

Born on a farm and named in a field by her parents Chrisann Brennan and Steve Jobs-Lisa Brennan-Jobs' her childhood unfolded in a rapidly changing Silicon Valley. 

When she was young, Lisa's father was a mythical figure who was rarely present in her life. 

As she grew older, her father took an interest in her, ushering her into a new world of mansions, vacations, and private schools. 

His attention was thrilling, but he could also be cold, critical, and unpredictable. 

When her relationship with her mother grew strained in high school, Lisa decided to move in with her father, hoping he'd become the parent she'd always wanted him to be.

Small Fry is Lisa Brennan-Jobs' poignant story of a childhood spent between two imperfect but extraordinary homes. 

Scrappy, wise, and funny, young Lisa is an unforgettable guide through her parents' fascinating and disparate worlds. 

Part portrait of a complex family, a part love letter to California in the seventies and eighties, Small Fry is an enthralling book by an insightful new literary voice.

Conclusion: Best Biographies and Memoirs about Inspiring Women

Finally, I shared some specific books with you and looked for things that can guide us in books. You can also see from the book list I recommend that as long as you start reading, books will come to you one by one.

Based on the social and cultural identities of the memoir authors, we can divide them into categories such as politicians, scholars, journalists, celebrities, and ordinary people.  

It often focuses on people who have overcome challenges and adversity, demonstrating the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

You May Also Like: Best Inspiring Memoirs and Biographies Books for Women

• The Long Goodbye by Meghan O’Rourke
• Wasted by Marya Hornbacher
• She’s Not There by Jennifer Finney Boylan
• I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb
• Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman
• How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran
• Redefining Realness by Janet Mock
• Whip Smart by Melissa Febos
• Her by Christa Parravani
• From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein
• The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya
• Educated by Tara Westover
• Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride
• Unbowed by Wangari Maathai
• Wholly Unraveled by Keele Burgin
• Monsoon Mansion by Cinelle Barnes
• In Pieces by Sally Field
• Never Enough by Judith Grisel
• The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
• All the Lives We Ever Saved by Katharine Smyth
• Under the Red Skies by Karoline Kan
• The Mother of Black Hollywood by Jenifer Lewis
• Inheritance by Dani Shapiro