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4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
I was given a widget of this book by the publisher. I don't usually read memoirs and I'd never heard of Zarna before but I did enjoy this story. She has an amazing life story that was really interesting - from her struggles in India, to fitting in once in America, to life as a mom and then life as a comedian. I was surprised, amazed, laughing and cheering for her as I read the book. Thanks so much for giving me this ACR in exchange for my honest opinion.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Do you know who Zarna Garg is? If not, she is someone worth learning about. Born in India, Garg was a stay-at-home mom for sixteen years before she tried her hand at standup comedy in her 40s. It didn't take long for Garg to gain notoriety for her hilarious routines, which include stories about her family and Indian culture. Following the success with her first TV special on Prime and a podcast featuring her husband and three children, Garg has now written This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memoir. It's both heartfelt and incredibly funny.
Zarna Garg, born into an affluent family in Mumbai, was outspoken and had an independent nature from a young age. After her three older siblings were married, her father decided it was time for fourteen-year-old Zarna to marry, and he began interviewing suitable, wealthy young men. As this was unacceptable to Zarna, she fled to Akron, Ohio, to live with her sister. This captivating memoir details her life in America, including her education, meeting her husband, starting a family, and their eventual encouragement to pursue stand-up comedy.
This was such an enjoyable book. Since reading it, I've watched many of Garg's comedy clips and interviews online. She is a fresh and welcome addition to the comedy scene. Her timing is impeccable. She's smart as a whip and undoubtedly an inspiration to women. Her follow-up TV special, Practical People Win, hits Hulu in 2025 with a sitcom in development. Zarna Garg seems unstoppable.
Many thanks to Ballantine Books | Random House for the advance. All opinions are my own.
Zarna Garg, born into an affluent family in Mumbai, was outspoken and had an independent nature from a young age. After her three older siblings were married, her father decided it was time for fourteen-year-old Zarna to marry, and he began interviewing suitable, wealthy young men. As this was unacceptable to Zarna, she fled to Akron, Ohio, to live with her sister. This captivating memoir details her life in America, including her education, meeting her husband, starting a family, and their eventual encouragement to pursue stand-up comedy.
This was such an enjoyable book. Since reading it, I've watched many of Garg's comedy clips and interviews online. She is a fresh and welcome addition to the comedy scene. Her timing is impeccable. She's smart as a whip and undoubtedly an inspiration to women. Her follow-up TV special, Practical People Win, hits Hulu in 2025 with a sitcom in development. Zarna Garg seems unstoppable.
Many thanks to Ballantine Books | Random House for the advance. All opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
I’ll be honest when I saw this book I really didn’t know much about Zarna Garg but the book blurb intrigued me. I’m so glad that I gave this a read. This is a voice-y book in the best way possible. I felt like I was sitting down having drinks with a friend. Garg achieved a balance of being funny but also vulnerable. It would be easy to try to make the harder moments of her life this small blip in the book but Garg takes her time allowing us to sit with a younger version of her who is scared and trying her best to survive. I loved getting to go on this journey with her and I can safely say I will be tuning into her comedy specials from here on out.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I have to admit that I was unfamiliar with Zarna Garg's work before reading this book, but I'm a fan now! Often, while reading, I thought that her life story sounded like something right out of a movie (and she did - in fact - try to make it into a series of movies), but knowing these were real situations she had found herself in was all the more special.
Zarna, through all the ups and downs of her life, manages to stay determined and funny and warm as a person. The memoir will make you laugh and break your heart alike. I'm really glad she's sharing so much of what made her the person she is today with her audience. It takes guts to be so open and Zarna definitely doesn't lack in bravery.
Fazit: 4.5 stars! Absolutely adored this!
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
Zarna, through all the ups and downs of her life, manages to stay determined and funny and warm as a person. The memoir will make you laugh and break your heart alike. I'm really glad she's sharing so much of what made her the person she is today with her audience. It takes guts to be so open and Zarna definitely doesn't lack in bravery.
Fazit: 4.5 stars! Absolutely adored this!
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
4.5 stars rounded down for a book that is an eye opener. Zarna Garg has written an autobiography that is at times, sad, appalling, inspiring and informative. She explains how she grew up in a well off Indian family in Mumbai, India. But then when she was 14 years old, her world changed overnight. Her father informed her that she had to get married to a man that he would choose for her. She refused and he ejected her from his house. India is evidently a male dominated society and her father could do this without consequences. Marriage at age 14 in India is common.
A relevant quote: "In Indian terms, once I hit age twenty, I flipped at exactly midnight from being a precocious child bride to being an over educated nuisance spinster."
By contrast, in the US marriage at age 14 is illegal in almost all states. In the 1 or 2 states that allow it, no child can be forced to marry someone they don't want to marry. When I talked about this subject with my wife she mentioned that there have been newspaper articles about immigrant families from the Middle East or South Asia, who have become entangled with the courts because of trying to force an underage child into a forced marriage.
Zarna lived on the street and sometimes at friends/relatives houses for a year and a half before she gave up and came home to her father. But then fate intervened as a US student visa that she had applied for several months prior was finally approved. With the help of a sibling, she secretly flew to the US.
Once in the US, she was able to extend her stay long enough to get a law degree and meet and marry someone of her own choosing. One more quote: "Indians don't marry for love. We marry for security. If you end up with love, that's a happy surprise. Like a little prize in a cereal box. But Americans demand-nay, worship--"love marriages," which is what Indians call non-arranged marriages."
Then she decides to expand her horizons again at age 40 and becomes a stand up comic. I have watched her on YouTube and she is funny. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about Indian society and how people live there.
This book was a fast read and has some laugh out loud lines. I recommend it to anyone who likes books with humor.
Some thoughts on those who read this review and think that I believe that the US is a perfect society. It is not and has many flaws, some of which are terrible, including for instance, invading another country on a flimsy excuse of weapons of mass destruction, later proven to be a lie.
#ThisAmericanWoman #NetGalley
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
A relevant quote: "In Indian terms, once I hit age twenty, I flipped at exactly midnight from being a precocious child bride to being an over educated nuisance spinster."
By contrast, in the US marriage at age 14 is illegal in almost all states. In the 1 or 2 states that allow it, no child can be forced to marry someone they don't want to marry. When I talked about this subject with my wife she mentioned that there have been newspaper articles about immigrant families from the Middle East or South Asia, who have become entangled with the courts because of trying to force an underage child into a forced marriage.
Zarna lived on the street and sometimes at friends/relatives houses for a year and a half before she gave up and came home to her father. But then fate intervened as a US student visa that she had applied for several months prior was finally approved. With the help of a sibling, she secretly flew to the US.
Once in the US, she was able to extend her stay long enough to get a law degree and meet and marry someone of her own choosing. One more quote: "Indians don't marry for love. We marry for security. If you end up with love, that's a happy surprise. Like a little prize in a cereal box. But Americans demand-nay, worship--"love marriages," which is what Indians call non-arranged marriages."
Then she decides to expand her horizons again at age 40 and becomes a stand up comic. I have watched her on YouTube and she is funny. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about Indian society and how people live there.
This book was a fast read and has some laugh out loud lines. I recommend it to anyone who likes books with humor.
Some thoughts on those who read this review and think that I believe that the US is a perfect society. It is not and has many flaws, some of which are terrible, including for instance, invading another country on a flimsy excuse of weapons of mass destruction, later proven to be a lie.
#ThisAmericanWoman #NetGalley
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
From the Publisher: “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.”
I usually skip memoirs from stand-up comics, but last fall I discovered the author’s hilarious Instagram Reel and couldn't get enough! A few months later, NetGalley offered me an advanced copy of Zarna’s book—how could I resist? Her storytelling feels like a chat between friends. Despite her social media glam, she reveals real struggles with wit that’ll keep you laughing. Whether you're familiar with her or not, this book is sure to brighten your day!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine|Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.