8 Essential Memoirs To Escape Into This Summer
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4 minutes ago
From Pulitzer Prize winners to viral sensations, these eight memoirs offer everything from coming-of-age stories to Hollywood chaos
Summer is a time for escape. Whether that’s escaping the heat, escaping to the destination of your dreams, or sitting poolside escaping into the world of a good book. From true stories about friendships that forged a legacy and the search for education to witty explorations of the hellscapes of Hollywood, fame, chronic illness and cancan dancing, memoir may be just what you’re looking for. Delve into these true stories that show how life can be just as intoxicating as fiction.
Stay True by Hua Hsu
Hua Hsu’s touchingly humorous memoir Stay True won the Pulitzer Prize in 2023 with the committee describing it as an ‘elegant and poignant coming of age account that considers intense, youthful friendships but also random violence that can suddenly and permanently alter the logic of our personal narratives.’ It tells the story of introverted Hsu’s college days and his unlikely friendship with confident, effervescent Ken that was tragically cut short.
Paperback, £10.99
Educated by Tara Westover
Born to Mormon survivalist parents, Tara Westover’s childhood was filled with strict religion rather than school, herbal remedies rather than hospitals, and constant preparation for looming end-of-times. Educated is the story of her search for knowledge and her struggle to dissect fact from fiction as she forges a life on her own terms. It’s a heartwarming tribute to the complexities of familial love and one woman’s search for knowledge.
Paperback, £11.99
Famesick by Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham has always been divisive. But her second memoir, Famesick, has flown off shelves. Released in April 2026, it flew to number one on the New York Times Bestseller List and stayed there for weeks. It details her first decade spent in the entertainment industry from her ascent to the A-list with the Golden Globe winning series Girls, to the chaos of undiagnosed chronic illness, a pill problem, and not one, not two, but four, pet pigs. It’s funny, charming, and intoxicatingly clever.
Hardback, £18.99
107 Days by Kamala Harris
‘We did it Joe’ was heard around the world. It was 7 November 2020 and Joe Biden had won the race for President of the United States with Kamala Harris by his side as Vice President. For many, it was a change that symbolised hope for the future. Little did Harris know that only three years later she herself would be running for President in an eleventh-hour change of running order as Biden unexpectedly pulled out of running for second term re-election. 107 Days is the account of her tireless campaign trail and the resolute support from her campaigners.
Hardback, £25
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
Kelly Bishop played Marjorie Houseman, the mother of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman in Dirty Dancing and won a Tony Award in 1976 for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her role as Sheila in Broadway’s A Chorus Line. Her most well-known role though is, perhaps, as sharp matriarch Emily Gilmore in Gilmore Girls. Her memoir, The Third Gilmore Girl, is a recount of her dogged pursuit of success as a chorus dancer along the Las Vegas strip, the turbulence of her childhood with an emotionally abusive father, and slow-growing love between herself and husband of 37 years, television personality Lee Leonard. She meets setbacks with a resolute determination that carries her through the highs and lows of both her career and personal life.
Hardback, £20
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Perhaps one of the most well known writers of our time, Maya Angelou’s seven-volume series unfolds a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome extreme racism and trauma. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is the first of her six autobiographical books, originally published in 1969, depicting her life as a child and teenager. From the painful sense of being unwanted to selective, trauma-induced mutism the novel sees Angelou find her voice with the help of her beloved neighbour, Mrs Bertha Flowers, and their shared love of books.
Paperback, £10.99
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Patti Smith catapulted into fame with her 1975 debut album, Horses, a heady mix of rock and poetry that captured the genre-bending themes that defined the 1970s music scene. Three years later her collaboration with Bruce Springteen, Because the Night, reached number five on the UK singles chart. Just Kids is a memoir made to fulfill a promise to her late friend and longtime partner, artist Robert Maplethorpe. Together, she tells of how they struggled penniless through the streets of New York City, their time spent living in the renowned Chelsea Hotel, and how they forged artistic legacies that would leave both as household names nearly 50 years later.
Paperback, £12.99
Strangers by Belle Burden
Set to come to the big screen as a major motion picture starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Belle Burden’s account of the dissolution of her marriage in Strangers is both a eulogy to the relationship that once was and a fiery warcry as the woman that she has become. It’s a thoughtful look into intimacy and trust and how to find the strength to move onwards in the face of complete betrayal.
Hardback, £18.99
The House of My Mother by Shari Franke
Ask the younger generation to describe the family vlogging YouTube channel, 8 Passengers, and they will recount a story of a seemingly picture-perfect family with a worryingly dark secret. Helmed by Ruby Franke, who is now serving 30 years in prison for aggravated child abuse, the family spent seven years posting their daily life on the internet for their 2.5 million followers. Ruby was praised for her ‘honest’ accounts of parenting, faith-centred family values, and her no nonsense attitudes. Behind the camera, her children struggled in an environment of control, fear, and isolation. In The House of My Mother Shari Franke, the eldest of the six children, recounts her battle to protect her siblings and her pursuit of peace as her family unravelled around her.
Paperback, £10.99
Prefer fiction? Our summer reading list has you covered.
