18 Best Memoirs of 2022

A memoir can be many things: a teacher, a companion, an inspiration. Some memoirs comfort us, reflecting our shared truths, while others challenge us to step outside of our own experiences. All the best books transport us from our lives into someone else’s, but memoirs take on that burden literally, and in doing so, make readers feel less alone. These days, we’re lucky to be living through a golden age of memoir, with the nonfiction form becoming more porous to allow shades of reportage, travelogue, and cultural criticism.

Still, our favorite memoirs of 2022 elevate the form to new heights. They tackle personal, psychological, and philosophical concerns through topics ranging from ancestry to medicine to marriage. With guts and grace, these authors dive deep into their loves and losses, and come ashore with these dazzling treasures for you to read. (Or give! What better gift than that of a remarkable true story?)