The Best Memoirs to Make You Laugh, Cry, and Think

The Best Memoirs to Make You Laugh, Cry, and Think

The memoir, as an art form, is one of the most difficult and complex to pull off. It can be incredibly hard to put pen to paper no matter the subject, but writing your own life story and relating personal experiences—often uncomfortable ones—in a way that engages, entertains, and connects with audiences of completely different backgrounds poses a unique challenge. 

That’s why these titles are so impressive: not only are they excellent works in their own right, but they’ve achieved cultural acclaim, resonating with listeners of different ages, genders, races, religions, and identities. Often narrated by the authors themselves, these audiobooks allow listeners to be immersed in each story and feel all of the raw and unfiltered emotion that comes with them. Here are our choices for the 20 best memoirs.   

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Selection Methodology

Inclusion in Audible’s “best audiobooks” series is based on a number of factors, including presence on Audible best seller lists, listener ratings and reviews, Goodreads ratings, and input from the Audible Editors. All audiobooks featured here have a minimum of 500 reviews averaging at least 4.5 stars, with some exceptions made for outstanding stories and performances.