Memoirs are all the rage.  Lately it seems that all sorts of “regular Joes and Janes” are itching to tell the stories of their lives. It used to be that the biography section was a sacred space reserved for thick books about presidents, queens, award-winning actors, and the occasional sports hero.  Today, however, a reader is just as likely to encounter the story of the woman who won a Betty Crocker baking contest, or the lament of a man devastated because his only son was addicted to drugs, or the reminiscences of a daughter raised by a schizophrenic mother, as he is to stumble across the tale of a general whose quick thinking won a war.

One of my favorite memoirs is about a regular kid growing up in a small Indiana town during the 1960s. I Love You, Miss Huddleston, and Other Inappropriate Longings of My Indiana Childhood is a gem of a book penned by Philip Gulley, who also authors several inspirational fiction titles, including the Harmony Series. The memoir showcases Gulley’s wit and sense of humor.  He launches the story of his life by recalling how his father lost his job when Philip was four months old, just days after a professional photographer took his baby pictures.  He tells that when the photographer came back around with the developed photographs, his parents had to decline as they could no longer afford them.  The photographer, feeling sorry for their situation, gave them a single photo proof which they promptly hung on the wall alongside those of his siblings.  Philip’s picture always stood out from those of his brothers and sisters, not because of his beatific smile or his sparkling eyes, but because the word “Proof” was stamped across his chest in purple ink. Gulley continues the book with other delightful stories of family vacations, paper routes, and of course, inappropriate crushes on grade school teachers.  I Love You, Miss Huddleston will take readers back to the simpler days.

The Perfect Gentleman: A Muslim Boy Meets the West by Imran Ahmad is also a memoir about an ordinary boy.  Instead of Indiana, however, the backdrop of Imran Ahmad’s childhood is Pakistan and London. Told with great humor and insight, Ahmad relays short and simple stories of his coming of age that reveal the growing tumult of feelings he has regarding being loyal to his Islamic heritage and his desire to embrace the West. He devotes a chapter of the book to each year of his life, beginning at age 1 where he first tastes the bitter pill of injustice when he narrowly loses Karachi’s Bonnie Baby contest to the contest organizer’s child. At age 8, while having an after school snack at a friend’s house, Ahmad solves the mystery of why he never eats pork at home when his friend’s mother explains, “It is because of your religion dear.” Oh, is that it. Being a Muslim in English schools that routinely refer to Jesus and quote the Bible, profoundly shapes Ahmad’s world view.  With incredible poignancy, he relays his earliest memories of racial awareness and religious difference while simultaneously giving readers a sense for his budding character and personal ethics. A delight on every level, this is a gem of a memoir that rises above the stacks of other life stories.

Other Memoirs of Interest

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Sheryl Strayed

A powerful, blazingly honest, inspiring memoir: the story of a 1,100 mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe--and built her back up again.

Giant George: Life with the World’s Biggest Dog by Dave Nasser

The funny and heartwarming story of one couple's unexpected life with the 'runt of the litter' puppy who grew to be the largest dog in the world.

Triggered: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Fletcher Wortmann

A member of a sketch comedy group describes growing up with OCD, discussing his pop-culture obsessions, the roles of literature and Christianity in shaping his perspective, and his visit

 to the OCD Institute in Massachusetts.