Have You Listened To Any Of These Memoir Audiobooks? They Should Be At The Top Of Your List Too!
Memoirs are powerful stories that offer a glimpse into the lives of remarkable individuals. These books are captivating and inspiring, sharing real-life experiences that have the power to change the way we see the world. From tales of perseverance and triumph to heart-wrenching moments of loss and redemption, memoirs are an opportunity to immerse yourself in someone else's world and come away with a new perspective. Whether you're looking for inspiration or simply enjoy reading about the lives of extraordinary people, the memoir category has something for everyone. Pick up a memoir today and prepare to be captivated by the power of personal storytelling.
Memoir Audiobooks Statistics
Total Audiobooks in this Category:
34,020 audiobooks
Total Authors in this Category:
38,555 authors
Average Audiobook Length:
8.92 hours
Average Audiobook Rating:
3.60/5
Audiobooks in the Top 50:
11
Author: Yeonmi Park
Narrator: Eji Kim
Audio Length:
@1x speed 9.50 hours
@1.5x speed 6.33 hours
@2x speed 4.75 hours
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In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom Audiobook
Yeonmi Park has told the harrowing story of her escape from North Korea as a child many times, but never before has she revealed the most intimate and devastating details of the repressive society she was raised in and the enormous price she paid to escape.
Park’s family was loving and close-knit, but life in North Korea was brutal, practically medieval. Park would regularly go without food and was made to believe that, Kim Jong Il, the country’s dictator, could read her mind. After her father was imprisoned and tortured by the regime for trading on the black-market, a risk he took in order to provide for his wife and two young daughters, Yeonmi and her family were branded as criminals and forced to the cruel margins of North Korean society. With thirteen-year-old Park suffering from a botched appendectomy and weighing a mere sixty pounds, she and her mother were smuggled across the border into China.
I wasn’t dreaming of freedom when I escaped from North Korea. I didn’t even know what it meant to be free. All I knew was that if my family stayed behind, we would probably die—from starvation, from disease, from the inhuman conditions of a prison labor camp. The hunger had become unbearable; I was willing to risk my life for the promise of a bowl of rice. But there was more to our journey than our own survival. My mother and I were searching for my older sister, Eunmi, who had left for China a few days earlier and had not been heard from since.
Park knew the journey would be difficult, but could not have imagined the extent of the hardship to come. Those years in China cost Park her childhood, and nearly her life. By the time she and her mother made their way to South Korea two years later, her father was dead and her sister was still missing. Before now, only her mother knew what really happened between the time they crossed the Yalu river into China and when they followed the stars through the frigid Gobi Desert to freedom. As she writes, “I convinced myself that a lot of what I had experienced never happened. I taught myself to forget the rest.”
In In Order to Live, Park shines a light not just into the darkest corners of life in North Korea, describing the deprivation and deception she endured and which millions of North Korean people continue to endure to this day, but also onto her own most painful and difficult memories. She tells with bravery and dignity for the first time the story of how she and her mother were betrayed and sold into sexual slavery in China and forced to suffer terrible psychological and physical hardship before they finally made their way to Seoul, South Korea—and to freedom.
Still in her early twenties, Yeonmi Park has lived through experiences that few people of any age will ever know—and most people would never recover from. Park confronts her past with a startling resilience, refusing to be defeated or defined by the circumstances of her former life in North Korea and China. In spite of everything, she has never stopped being proud of where she is from, and never stopped striving for a better life. Indeed, today she is a human rights activist working determinedly to bring attention to the oppression taking place in her home country.
Park’s testimony is rare, edifying, and terribly important, and the story she tells in In Order to Live is heartbreaking and unimaginable, but never without hope. Her voice is riveting and dignified. This is the human spirit at its most indomitable.
“I first heard Yeonmi’s story on a podcast. I was so intrigued that I chose her book for my book club to read. As difficult as her story is, she is educating us about a horrific regime that runs North Korea. None of us would know about this weight the courage of people like her.”
— Tara
Author: Matthew McConaughey
Narrator: Matthew McConaughey
Audio Length:
@1x speed 6.75 hours
@1.5x speed 4.50 hours
@2x speed 3.38 hours
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Greenlights Audiobook
“I loved this book. It's now my most favorite read of all time. McConaughey is a distinctive and unique narrator, so much so I felt that I knew him personally. His ideas and insight to the drama we call life, is certainly a road map to finding the "Greenlights" and moving along with our own journey. I bought the hardcopy so I could see for myself the bumper stickers!!! Don't miss this book. It's an inspiration...”
— Linda
Author: Matthew Perry
Narrator: Matthew Perry
Audio Length:
@1x speed 8.75 hours
@1.5x speed 5.83 hours
@2x speed 4.38 hours
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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir Audiobook
"Going into his "why," Perry's audiobook is a fascinating listen."- AudioFile This program is read by the author. A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK BY TIME, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, GOODREADS, USA TODAY, AND MORE! The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid, funny, and revelatory memoir that delivers a powerful message of hope and persistence. “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.” So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more. In an extraordinary story that only he could tell—and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it—Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening—as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the audiobook fans have been waiting for. A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.
“I'm a huge fan of Matthew Perry and Friends, so I was really excited to listen to his memoir. After listening to it, I was truly amazed! The memoir itself is incredibly moving. It speaks of both love and heartache in equal measure. His reflections on relationships are honest and heartfelt, filled with colorful stories that span his entire life. He is open about both his successes and failures in an accessible manner, sharing practical advice for how to navigate the complex waters of family, friendship, and romance. I am thankful for Matthew's courage in opening up about such personal topics - it certainly gives us insight into him as an individual. This insightful memoir is filled with emotion that will stay with you long after you've finished listening. Highly recommended!”
— TerrenceY1988
Author: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
Narrator: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
Audio Length:
@1x speed 15.75 hours
@1.5x speed 10.50 hours
@2x speed 7.88 hours
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Spare Audiobook
“This is the best book I've read in a long time. It is well written, well narrated & provides a personal glimpse into the world of a real-life Prince. He seems to be sincere, authentic, relatable and normal. Along with his life as a royal, he shares in detail about his military service, humanitarian work and of course how the devastating loss of his "mummy" has impacted and seemingly continues to impact every aspect of his life. I have followed the Royal Family for years and I thoroughly enjoyed Harry's (or Henry's or Harold's or Darling Boy's) book. Good for him for telling his own story - in his own way - on his own terms. I highly recommend this book.”
— JM
Author: Tara Westover
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Audio Length:
@1x speed 12.25 hours
@1.5x speed 8.17 hours
@2x speed 6.13 hours
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Educated: A Memoir Audiobook
“This book was inspirational to me. It really put in perspective what it means to educate yourself, normalising the process of learning, the amount of work it requires and the roadblocks along the way. I felt educated about a culture that I had little contact with and about determination and pushing through natural processes of development. The way the author talks about her feelings provided words about similar situations that I had been through. I recomend this book. It's a testament of resilience and the power of growing and changing, and the heartache and joys it brings.”
— Madalina
Author: Michelle Obama
Narrator: Michelle Obama
Audio Length:
@1x speed 19.00 hours
@1.5x speed 12.67 hours
@2x speed 9.50 hours
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Becoming Audiobook
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WATCH THE EMMY-NOMINATED NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER • ONE OF ESSENCE’S 50 MOST IMPACTFUL BLACK BOOKS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS
In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.
In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.
“BECOMING was an amazing memoir by an amazing woman living through unprecedented experiences. It was so fascinating to hear her perspective from her childhood, to meeting Barack Obama, to embarking on the path to politics and the hugeness of what they took on. Bonus that Michelle Obama narrated it herself.”
— PenEllis
Author: Rebecca Skloot
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell, Bahni Turpin
Audio Length:
@1x speed 12.50 hours
@1.5x speed 8.33 hours
@2x speed 6.25 hours
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Audiobook
Unbeknownst to her, Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951) changed the world through her contributions to biomedical research. Lacks was a poor African-American woman who was treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital beginning in 1951 for cervical cancer. She died that same year, but prior to her death her doctor removed two samples of Henrietta's cervix, a healthy part and a cancerous part, without her permission or even her knowledge.
Her doctor gave the cells to Dr. George Otto Gey, a biomedical researcher. These cells eventually became the HeLa (Henrietta Lacks) Immortal cell line. Prior to the use of Lacks' cells, cell lines used for research would die out within a few days and had to continuously be replaced. Henrietta Lacks' cells were the first that scientists could keep alive and grow. The HeLa cells are the most commonly used cells in research, and are still being used today.
According to author Rebecca Skloot, Henrietta Lacks' cells were vital to the development of the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization. Her cells have been bought and sold millions of times the world over, and yet her children remain in poverty and cannot afford health insurance.
Skloot learned about the HeLa cells in a high school science class and her interest was piqued. After completing college, she spent the next decade researching Henrietta Lacks and in the process became close to the surviving members of the Lacks family, particularly Henrietta's eldest daughter, Deborah. The Lacks family remained impoverished and uneducated, and had trouble understanding the meaning of their mother's immortality, while also feeling that the doctors had stolen from them, in more ways than one.
Rebecca Skloot has a B.S. in biological sciences and an MFA in creative nonfiction. She has taught creative writing and science journalism at the University of Memphis, the University of Pittsburgh, and New York University, and has been published in several scientific journals and mainstream magazines. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is her first book, has won several awards and has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for two years. In 2011, the book won the Audie Award for Best Non-Fiction Audiobook.
“Fascinating book about the woman who made it possible for scientists to study the behavior of cancer cells and find treatments for common and not so common illnesses. Rebecca Skloot takes us into this woman's life through her children, her doctors, and the institutions and mindsets of a generation long past. She makes it easy to follow the back and forth of the story with a timeline at the beginning of each chapter. I found this book to be interesting, heart breaking, uplifting, and educational. It's a bit of a look at the best, and worst, of mankind. If you enjoyed it I'd recommend "The Emperor of All Maladies" by Siddhartha Mukherjee.”
— Dee
Author: Frank McCourt
Narrator: Frank McCourt
Audio Length:
@1x speed 15.25 hours
@1.5x speed 10.17 hours
@2x speed 7.63 hours
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Angela's Ashes: A Memoir Audiobook
He was born in the thirties in New York to Irish immigrants, and later returned with them to the desolate slumhouses of Limerick, Ireland. The name Angela is his mother's, and she scrounged with what little money she had left over from his father's alcohol binges. His dad didn't work much in the first place. Though sometimes Frank had to wear soles on his shoe from rubber of a tire, and though sometimes he had to beg for pork head for holiday meals, and though he had to look for his dad in pubs, he is still able to tell us these stories with hope, grace, and humanity.
Frank McCourt was a teacher for years, and originally got himself into college without a high school degree by talking his way into New York University and promising to maintain an average grade of a B+. He died from cancer in 2009.
“This is my all time favorite book. It made me laugh and cry and parts of it reminded me so much of my own family. The humor in it is not for everyone but, in my opinion, the humor (though mostly a depressing humor) was the best part of the book. Loved it.”
— Pepper
Author: Jeannette Walls
Narrator: Jeannette Walls
Audio Length:
@1x speed 10.50 hours
@1.5x speed 7.00 hours
@2x speed 5.25 hours
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The Glass Castle: A Memoir Audiobook
MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST
The perennially bestselling, extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, “nothing short of spectacular” (Entertainment Weekly) memoir from one of the world’s most gifted storytellers.
The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family.
The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.
The Glass Castle is truly astonishing—a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.
“So, this is one of those books that you just love to love and hate to love! It is a memoir so I have to believe that it is fact, but I was really irritated with what went on in the book. The system and those that knew this family seriously failed these kids and despite, they persisted. The facts of the book aside, it is very well written and hearing it read by the author made it really poignant and heartfelt. I heard all of the hype, my daughter kept telling me to read it, so . . . I finally did and I am not sorry. Total recommend! Just be prepared to hate her parents! EEK!”
— Tina
Author: Maya Angelou
Narrator: Maya Angelou
Audio Length:
@1x speed 10.25 hours
@1.5x speed 6.83 hours
@2x speed 5.13 hours
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Audiobook
“I thinnk this book was fantastic. Mya included so many real life situations and true facts about what went on during that time.Mya also added great detail which made me wanting to keep reading more and more which i will continue to do.”
— Brandonford
Author: Paul Kalanithi
Narrator: Sunil Malhotra, Cassandra Campbell
Audio Length:
@1x speed 5.50 hours
@1.5x speed 3.67 hours
@2x speed 2.75 hours
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When Breath Becomes Air Audiobook
NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST MEMOIRS OF THE DECADE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • People • NPR • The Washington Post • Slate • Harper’s Bazaar • Time Out New York • Publishers Weekly • BookPage
Finalist for the PEN Center USA Literary Award in Creative Nonfiction and the Books for a Better Life Award in Inspirational Memoir
At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. And just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined evaporated. When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi’s transformation from a naïve medical student “possessed,” as he wrote, “by the question of what, given that all organisms die, makes a virtuous and meaningful life” into a neurosurgeon at Stanford working in the brain, the most critical place for human identity, and finally into a patient and new father confronting his own mortality.
What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when the future, no longer a ladder toward your goals in life, flattens out into a perpetual present? What does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another fades away? These are some of the questions Kalanithi wrestles with in this profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir.
Paul Kalanithi died in March 2015, while working on this book, yet his words live on as a guide and a gift to us all. “I began to realize that coming face to face with my own mortality, in a sense, had changed nothing and everything,” he wrote. “Seven words from Samuel Beckett began to repeat in my head: ‘I can’t go on. I’ll go on.’” When Breath Becomes Air is an unforgettable, life-affirming reflection on the challenge of facing death and on the relationship between doctor and patient, from a brilliant writer who became both.
“A profoundly moving memoir by a young neurosurgeon faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis attempts to answer - before his time is up - what makes life worth living. It's a short book, with a little about dying and a lot more about being alive. Its heavy on descriptions of neurosurgery and neuroscience, and his medical rotations. I really enjoyed it,even though listening to his wife's epilogue had me in tears.”
— Julie
The Liars' Club (Abridged): A Memoir Audiobook
“I'm reading this for the second time. That's why I can already give it a five-start review! I'm in wonder of her excellent writing skills. And the characters are fascinating. I love how if she doesn't remember something she says so. Now, I'm suspect of all childhood memoirs--I don't see how people can remember enough details to write a really good story of their early childhood. I know I couldn't. But I no longer see it as terrible to make up the little details like what color shirt Uncle Riley was wearing or what brand chew tobacco he used--though I would deem it dishonest if authors made up events.”
— Karol
Author: Joan Didion
Narrator: Barbara Caruso
Audio Length:
@1x speed 5.25 hours
@1.5x speed 3.50 hours
@2x speed 2.63 hours
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The Year of Magical Thinking Audiobook
This powerful and moving work is Didion's "attempt to make sense of the weeks and then months that cut loose any fixed idea I ever had about death, about illness, about marriage and children and memory, about the shallowness of sanity, about life itself."
With vulnerability and passion, Joan Didion explores an intensely personal yet universal experience of love and loss. The Year Of Magical Thinking will speak directly to anyone who has ever loved a husband, wife, or child.
“You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.Very tough to read, and I am sure, very tough to write. This book made me think about my own mortality and that of my family and friends. Joan made it through!”
— Erica