This American Woman

A One-In-A-Billion Memoir

By: Zarna Garg

Narrated by: Zarna Garg

Award-winning comedian Zarna Garg turns her astonishing life story into a hilarious memoir, spilling all the chai on her wild ride from escaping an arranged marriage and homelessness in India to carving her own path in America and launching a dazzling second act in midlife.

“A deeply honest and hilarious book about how you always win if you bet on yourself.”—Amy Poehler

Throughout Zarna’s whole childhood in India, everyone called her “so American” just for reading the newspaper, having deep thoughts, and talking back to anyone over the age of thirty. When Zarna’s dad tried to marry her off at age fourteen, Zarna fled—first to the streets of Mumbai and ultimately to the glittering paradise of Akron, Ohio, where she got to become American for real.

On Zarna’s very American quest to find herself and her calling, she threw herself wholeheartedly into roles like dog-bite lawyer, crazy perfectionist stay-at-home mom, Indian matchmaker, prizewinning screenwriter, and more. It wasn’t until a dare led her to a stand-up comedy open mic that Zarna finally found her spiritual home: getting paid cold hard cash for her big fat mouth.

And as Zarna discovered, after surviving the brutal streets of Mumbai, the cutthroat world of stand-up comedy is nothing.

This American Woman is an exuberant story of fighting for your right to determine your own destiny and triumphing beyond what you ever dreamed was possible. Zarna’s mantra becomes a call to action: It’s never too late. If Zarna can do it, you can, too.

Bonus content! At the end of the program, hear from Zarna's sons Brij and Veer about losing their Mom to comedy, but finding each other. Experience Shalabh's front row seat watching his wife take flight in mid-life. If you think you cried enough during the memoir, you're not done yet!

Critic reviews

“I knew This American Woman would be hilarious, because, well, Zarna is the funniest person I know. But I didn’t know it would also be the touching story of a brilliant and brave woman who defied all odds to make it in America. Her memoir will inspire you, make you cry, and laugh so hard it hurts.”—Mindy Kaling, award-winning actress and producer

“Zarna thinks like a lawyer, writes like a mother, and kills like a stand-up.”*—Tina Fey
*If she ever gets canceled on TikTok, I rescind this endorsement.

“Zarna Garg is a force of nature. This American Woman is a deeply honest and hilarious book about how you always win if you bet on yourself.”—Amy Poehler

“Zarna Garg is proof that the funniest voices come from the realest places. Her memoir is a powerhouse—funny, raw, and unputdownable. It’s a must-read for anyone who’s ever dreamed big or never been roasted by an Indian auntie.”—Lilly Singh, comedian and author of How to Be a Bawse

“Zarna, I’m lucky to be somebody who can say “I remember at the early stages how funny she was” and watch the rest of the world catch up to what I knew back then. A star is a star. You don’t discover stars; you just help them. I can’t wait for the world to read your book.”—Kevin Hart

“A laugh-out-loud, heartwarming story of one woman’s quest to survive and find independence. Zarna Garg went from being a stay-at-home immigrant mom to the first immigrant-mom comedian. She will make you feel that anything is possible.”—Padma Lakshmi

Great audiobook!

Absolutely love the book! You really need to listen to the audio version of the book. It’s so good, it was very different than I was expecting. I really enjoyed learning about Zarna Garg and her family. The letters from family members were my favorite part.

An incredibly unique and raw telling of the immigrant experience

Zarna Garg is able to combine combine the brutal honesty and authenticity of a challenging and complicated life story with the wit and humor of a Netflix comedienne to weave a gripping, well-written narrative that beautifully describes the lived experience of an Indian immigrant woman that is incredibly common yet woefully undertold. I can see my own mother reflected back at me, and imagine her and her experiences in a way I never have before. Truly a unique and memorable read, both in the content of the story and the style of the writing. The audio version is extra moving, as she both uses her voice well as a performer, but also does not shy away from betraying her emotions as she speaks.

Love Zarna before but now I’m obsessed!

Was expecting funny but got a deep, rich and fulfilling story about more than her life story. I learned about myself on her journey.

Must Listen !!

I Loved this story ! The audio book I so engaging and funny. I really could not stop listening . As a Southasian it resonates on so many levels.

Timeless courage

Zarna’s courage, determination and insatiable appetite for knowledge are timeless. Her story is interesting and inspirational.

Hilarious and inspirational

Hilarious! I love that Zarna shares her personal life journey — as you listen, her comedic energy makes you laugh while also bringing tears with her life experiences. I truly love that!

Funny! Real! Genuine!

Loved her story and her story-telling. She’s vulnerable and open and hilarious. Loved this.

Grit and tenacity

What an incredible, tenacious, audacious, brave woman. Sharna is an inspiration to all women, young and old to prove that if you want something bad enough persistence will get you there… not to mention the amazing sense of humor she manages to bring to even the most dire situation。I love that she also used her own daughter’s words and that her daughter was so involved in the creating of this book. This woman is pure love. Having gone through and will be going through again the New York City draconian high school system for my granddaughters, I really enjoyed that segment, and I loved her honesty about the public schools versus the private schools. Again, such a brave woman to speak the truth that she sees it. I literally binged this book and could not stop listening. I also so enjoyed and appreciated that she did the audio herself. You come away from this book feeling like Sharna is your best friend and you can’t wait to experience more of her! Looking forward to your second book and all of your Instagram posts.

Love this lady and everything she does!

The Entire book keeps you engaged with stories and emotion. Zarna is an amazing storyteller.

Highly recommend Zarna brings light and humor during a time in history it is needed. She did not even mention politics!

Liked everything especially her family speaking and her acknowledging the people who helped and inspired her
Would love to hear her take on politics in the US .