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This American Woman: A One-in-a-Billion Memoir
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 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 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!
“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 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 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!
9 pages, Audiobook
First published April 29, 2025
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17931 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,508 reviews
March 22, 2025
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.
March 13, 2025
I'm not one to give 5 stars, usually for memoirs. However, this one truly touched me! After laughing, getting choked up with tears and laughing again (millions of times)... Zarna truly stole my heart with this memoir! I feel like I know her so deeply and felt related to the mom level of losing ourselves and getting bored. It was beautiful hearing about how she came to America, but heartbreaking hearing about her hardships as a teen in Mumbai. I loved hearing about her family aspects as her sister and brother truly seem like amazing people! Also, her husband is hilarious. Like they're legit perfect for one another. I love her funny banter. You can just feel her radiance and comedic moments through the words on the page. I giggled so hard while reading this. It made my cheeks hurt! I absolutely loved this! Someday, I hope to see Zarna live, as I know she's even more hilarious during her sets. Thank you for opening the world up to your story and journey. It was beautiful to read! Motivating, uplifting, relatable, and deep moments, but other moments are quite hilarious!
I received this ARC from Random House / Ballantine Books to read/review. All of the statements are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I received this ARC from Random House / Ballantine Books to read/review. All of the statements are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
October 18, 2025
3.5 stars
Wholesome book about an Indian American woman who made a career for herself as a comedian. I felt that the strongest parts of this memoir were when Zarna Garg shared about her immigration experience, her family dynamics, and her rise as a comedian. These components felt both personal and humorous (and I also smiled when she wrote about her daughter testing into her private school in NYC.) The book felt well-structured as a coming-of-age story and her tone is consistent and humorous; the writing is engaging and I didn’t feel bored when reading This American Woman.
I had ambivalent feelings because at times I felt that Garg stereotyped Indians/Indian Americans (literally at one point making a comment about Asian American moms being tiger moms, which is a stereotype). I haven’t seen any of Garg’s comedy content so I can’t speak on it, but I did some initial research and I read of some Indian Americans who are critical of her work due to its stereotyping. Also, there were times I wished Garg could write more critically about assimilation to the United States and what that entails (and how her financial privilege aided her, which she did mention/acknowledge), but that might not have fit the vibe of the book. Overall, because I felt that the presence of stereotyping was not super huge in this memoir itself, I’m rounding up to four stars.
Wholesome book about an Indian American woman who made a career for herself as a comedian. I felt that the strongest parts of this memoir were when Zarna Garg shared about her immigration experience, her family dynamics, and her rise as a comedian. These components felt both personal and humorous (and I also smiled when she wrote about her daughter testing into her private school in NYC.) The book felt well-structured as a coming-of-age story and her tone is consistent and humorous; the writing is engaging and I didn’t feel bored when reading This American Woman.
I had ambivalent feelings because at times I felt that Garg stereotyped Indians/Indian Americans (literally at one point making a comment about Asian American moms being tiger moms, which is a stereotype). I haven’t seen any of Garg’s comedy content so I can’t speak on it, but I did some initial research and I read of some Indian Americans who are critical of her work due to its stereotyping. Also, there were times I wished Garg could write more critically about assimilation to the United States and what that entails (and how her financial privilege aided her, which she did mention/acknowledge), but that might not have fit the vibe of the book. Overall, because I felt that the presence of stereotyping was not super huge in this memoir itself, I’m rounding up to four stars.
June 25, 2025
I love, love, love listening to celebrity memoirs, and I've listened to a lot of them. Some are HUGE hits and my favorites of all time, and some... well, some just suck.
This American Woman: A One-in-a-Billion Memoir did not suck. In fact, it was charming, funny, and moving, just as I had hoped it would be.
Zarna's journey to comedy was a long one, and I have to give it up to my fellow middle-aged moms out there who are pursing their dreams. Seriously, what a gutsy woman. I was right there with her as she was telling her story, and when Zarna got emotional, I felt emotional also. When she had a win, I felt like I was winning. She really knows how to connect with people, whether it be through telling her life story or through her extremely funny immigrant humor.
I'm beyond happy that Zarna is exploding like she is, and this book is simply a must-read for all Zarna fans (or even those who haven't found her comedy yet).
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This American Woman: A One-in-a-Billion Memoir did not suck. In fact, it was charming, funny, and moving, just as I had hoped it would be.
Zarna's journey to comedy was a long one, and I have to give it up to my fellow middle-aged moms out there who are pursing their dreams. Seriously, what a gutsy woman. I was right there with her as she was telling her story, and when Zarna got emotional, I felt emotional also. When she had a win, I felt like I was winning. She really knows how to connect with people, whether it be through telling her life story or through her extremely funny immigrant humor.
I'm beyond happy that Zarna is exploding like she is, and this book is simply a must-read for all Zarna fans (or even those who haven't found her comedy yet).
*~*Follow me on instagram for more reviews, book talk, and deals posts*~*
August 4, 2025
Back in the BC times (that would be Before Children) when I was young, there wasn’t an endless option of streaming services, internet was of the dial-up variety and cell phones “flipped” (unironically), pretty much the only decent thing to watch after all the late late late shows were over were things like the Half Hour Comedy Hour. Now I have Netflix specials out the wazoo to choose from, but I’m old and like to go to sleep at 9:00 after imbibing in a relaxing murder show. All that means I had never heard of Zarna Garg prior to a friend sending me TikTok/YouTube of one of her bits. I knew I wasn’t going to change my true crimey ways, but did what I always do and immediately went to see if she had a book. And looky here.
Soooooooooooooooooooooooo, this is a hard one because when I check out a book by a comedian, I really have expectations of simple humorous essays being what I’m about to listen to. That wasn’t the case here. This is part memoir/part advice column. It worked . . . . but only because Garg had such an interesting personal history. However, it didn’t make me want to keep pounding the pavement and logging extra mileage on my walk.
Soooooooooooooooooooooooo, this is a hard one because when I check out a book by a comedian, I really have expectations of simple humorous essays being what I’m about to listen to. That wasn’t the case here. This is part memoir/part advice column. It worked . . . . but only because Garg had such an interesting personal history. However, it didn’t make me want to keep pounding the pavement and logging extra mileage on my walk.
July 16, 2025
I’ve been following Zarna Garg online for 3-4 years so I was excited to read her memoir. Because of library eccentricities, I read the first half of the book and listened to the audiobook for the second half.
I have to give the audiobook a lot of praise. I avoid them as a rule because I’ve been consistently amazed and disappointed how people who speak for a living often sound stilted and awkward narrating an audiobook. But Zarna sounds just like she does during her standup. Also the audiobook really goes for it with exciting music, microphone sound effects, and even her other family members reading their parts.
In terms of the content, the book is a raw story of her childhood and early adulthood, through her marriage and life as a stay at home mom and then beginning her standup career, all with her trademark humor. Highly recommended.
I have to give the audiobook a lot of praise. I avoid them as a rule because I’ve been consistently amazed and disappointed how people who speak for a living often sound stilted and awkward narrating an audiobook. But Zarna sounds just like she does during her standup. Also the audiobook really goes for it with exciting music, microphone sound effects, and even her other family members reading their parts.
In terms of the content, the book is a raw story of her childhood and early adulthood, through her marriage and life as a stay at home mom and then beginning her standup career, all with her trademark humor. Highly recommended.
February 11, 2025
I received a free copy of, This American Woman, by Zarna Garg, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. When Zarna was a teenager her father tried to arrange a marriage for her, she fled to America instead. I have never heard of Zarna before reading this book, she has had an interesting life. This was an interesting read.
April 9, 2025
I knew of Zarna Garg and watched some of her comedy before. She definitely captures what it’s like to be an Indian in her comedy and much of that is reflected in her memoir too. Her sense of humor is readily apparent in her writing style so it made for an easy read. And the pictures really made this memoir even better.
My two complaints are that (1) she makes certain statements about life and expectations in India that are more of a reflection of her childhood than Indian norms, but non-Indian readers may make assumptions about India and Indians as a result. Is is Zarna’s responsibility to educate those readers about all of the nuances of being Indian? Not at all, but I do wish it was a little clearer in her writing that her statements are facts about her life - not everyone’s life - in India. And (2) the book provides a fair amount of detail about her early life and I wish she shared a little bit more about raising her kids and her path to becoming a comedian. Yes, I know there was a decent amount about the kids’ socks and private schools, and the various careers she pursued on the way to comedy. But I wanted more about her interactions with her kids and how she used that to develop her short videos on social media. It’s what I think really catapulted her fame within the Indian community on IG and TikTok.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.
My two complaints are that (1) she makes certain statements about life and expectations in India that are more of a reflection of her childhood than Indian norms, but non-Indian readers may make assumptions about India and Indians as a result. Is is Zarna’s responsibility to educate those readers about all of the nuances of being Indian? Not at all, but I do wish it was a little clearer in her writing that her statements are facts about her life - not everyone’s life - in India. And (2) the book provides a fair amount of detail about her early life and I wish she shared a little bit more about raising her kids and her path to becoming a comedian. Yes, I know there was a decent amount about the kids’ socks and private schools, and the various careers she pursued on the way to comedy. But I wanted more about her interactions with her kids and how she used that to develop her short videos on social media. It’s what I think really catapulted her fame within the Indian community on IG and TikTok.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.
October 5, 2025
Libby app, Overdrive was better
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June 9, 2025
Zarna's Garg's, This American Woman, is both entertaining, hopeful, and humorous. I don't read a lot of memoirs, but this one pulled me right in. I was most interested in her life in India. I love reading about other cultures and seeing how people grew up differently than me. Zarna's life couldn't have been more different. She is truly inspirational. Her story shows that true grit, humor, and a lot of hard work will take you places in life.
I love watching her Tik Tok videos now. I had never heard of her until I read her book, but now I am a big fan. I love seeing her comedy shows, especially the ones she included in her book. I hope this book has a lot of success because Zarna deserves it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Zarna Garg for sharing a free copy of this book with me. This is my honest opinion.
I love watching her Tik Tok videos now. I had never heard of her until I read her book, but now I am a big fan. I love seeing her comedy shows, especially the ones she included in her book. I hope this book has a lot of success because Zarna deserves it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Zarna Garg for sharing a free copy of this book with me. This is my honest opinion.
May 19, 2025
I bought this book 6 hours ago and I read it in one sitting. One of the best books I’ve read, Zarna’s story is inspiring. Everyone needs to read this book. It was an emotional rollercoaster in the the best way. I have never laughed so hard while reading a book.
May 12, 2025
The audiobook is excellent. This is a master class in writing a biography. Drama, tragedy and comedy, mostly laugh out loud comedy that everyone can relate to.
July 28, 2025
This book is not woke enough! Or whatever we're calling it in 2025! And if it were actually a comedy memoir as I thought it was supposed to be, that would be... I mean, still not good, but also way less detrimental to the book's ability to do what it's trying to do. Instead this verges very heavily into something almost... self-help-y? With Garg focusing very heavily and reiterating, over and over and over and over again, how much she has Hustled and Grinded in order to get where she is through sheer will-power and how other people, of course, simply don't have the same inexhaustible drive that she does because of her Pain and Trauma and Suffering without ever connecting the dots of her privilege (MONEY!) to the things she finds lacking in other people. Most comics don't suffer the open mic circuit because they want to, it's because they cannot afford a comedy coach. Most people don't fail at entrepreneurship like 40 times or whatever because they don't have the money to risk it even once. Most women don't see $2,400 leather pants they keep in a drawer as some kind of aspirational talisman dragging them out of the horror of being a stay at home mom on their husband's Wall Street salary because buying $2,400 pants is fucking stupid even if you do have the means to do so.
I laughed as I listened to this and I was very moved in the first half, even crying along with Garg as she talked about her brother, but I cannot take a memoir about a ~self-built empire seriously when the person who built it is taking up offers to spend time in Dubai--an empire built on modern slave labor--and never once acknowledging that even if her life was incredibly painful and hard (because it was!) it does not magically erase that for most of her adult life she had financial security that most people cannot even dream of that she cannot seem to see or acknowledge at all.
Two stars for being funny-ish, one star because I thought the audiobook reading was very good.
I laughed as I listened to this and I was very moved in the first half, even crying along with Garg as she talked about her brother, but I cannot take a memoir about a ~self-built empire seriously when the person who built it is taking up offers to spend time in Dubai--an empire built on modern slave labor--and never once acknowledging that even if her life was incredibly painful and hard (because it was!) it does not magically erase that for most of her adult life she had financial security that most people cannot even dream of that she cannot seem to see or acknowledge at all.
Two stars for being funny-ish, one star because I thought the audiobook reading was very good.
May 30, 2025
While the book does start off as a seemingly funny read but after a point it seems like an attempt to just paint a picture of India as the worst country to possibly exist on the planet while US is the beacon of hope and epitome of humanity that has ever existed on the face of this earth. While I understand her experience due to her family and relatives was horrible but labelling the entire country as the most backward nation at various points in the book and taking annoyingly untrue jibes just makes it outright irritating.
For example - not sure which so called five star hotels in and around Delhi call themselves that for having electricity and running water round the clock. You can’t end up walking into a roadside motel and calling it a 5 star simply because you want to take a dig at how poor the country is! Totally not funny. Go to some real 5 star hotels which have existed in this country and you’ll understand the real meaning of hospitality, lady!
Walk into a roadside cheap parlour for some random bridal makeover and then expect them to treat you like Queen Elizabeth, asking a bit too much I think. Go to any decent salons here in India and you’ll be surprised how wonderfully well you’re treated. Oh and this is not the situation today, it has been this way for a long while now.
So yeah, unfunny and pointless jabs at a country repeatedly while just falling short of calling American shit equivalent to burger on your plate(I mean let’s be honest, we’re talking about a country that has voted Donald Trump into power not once but twice and a country which probably has the highest number of annual civilian killings due to gun violence in the modern world so let’s be slightly more realistic here)- that’s pretty much it and all that this book is about where it could have easily been an awe inspiring one.
For example - not sure which so called five star hotels in and around Delhi call themselves that for having electricity and running water round the clock. You can’t end up walking into a roadside motel and calling it a 5 star simply because you want to take a dig at how poor the country is! Totally not funny. Go to some real 5 star hotels which have existed in this country and you’ll understand the real meaning of hospitality, lady!
Walk into a roadside cheap parlour for some random bridal makeover and then expect them to treat you like Queen Elizabeth, asking a bit too much I think. Go to any decent salons here in India and you’ll be surprised how wonderfully well you’re treated. Oh and this is not the situation today, it has been this way for a long while now.
So yeah, unfunny and pointless jabs at a country repeatedly while just falling short of calling American shit equivalent to burger on your plate(I mean let’s be honest, we’re talking about a country that has voted Donald Trump into power not once but twice and a country which probably has the highest number of annual civilian killings due to gun violence in the modern world so let’s be slightly more realistic here)- that’s pretty much it and all that this book is about where it could have easily been an awe inspiring one.
February 22, 2025
Zarna Garg's memoir was a really great read. I especially enjoyed reading about her life in India. It felt like I was reading a really good fiction book. I couldn't believe all of the things she went through. I also found her life in India to be incredibly fascinating. I had never heard of Zarna before I read this book and before I finished this book I had already gone on social media to find her comedy routine. She is an incredible woman! What really sets her apart in my mind is that she went through so much, had a family, and did not find her passion until she was in her forties. I find that so inspiring especially because I am in my forties and I can't imagine starting over with my career.
This memoir was entertaining as well as informative. I did not know all that was involved in arranged marriages or India marriage ceremonies. I also learned about schools in New York City. I had no idea just how cutthroat the school system is in the city which was crazy to me because I am a NY state teacher. Overall, Zarna's life was fascinating and inspiring. I look forward to following her career and seeing what she does in the future.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
This memoir was entertaining as well as informative. I did not know all that was involved in arranged marriages or India marriage ceremonies. I also learned about schools in New York City. I had no idea just how cutthroat the school system is in the city which was crazy to me because I am a NY state teacher. Overall, Zarna's life was fascinating and inspiring. I look forward to following her career and seeing what she does in the future.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
June 14, 2025
I inhaled this book. I did it on audio, and it was a perfect listen for me between heavier reading.
Like most of us I had seen a few videos of Garg's comedy, but I knew nothing about her.
And what a remarkable life she has had, she grew up in a wealthy family in India. When she was 14, her father decided she would be in an arranged marriage, and she refused to marry, making her homeless. The memoir then covers how she came to America, and her life of great joy and failures prior to becoming a comic. Yes, there is humor, but this is not a book of snappy one liner comments but instead a book of a woman finding her own path, it just happens to be comedy.
I am now a fan. By the way, after reading the book, I went and watched the comedy special she mentions. After the very end of the show, she brings onto the stage her husband and kids. It was so much fun to see them after reading about them.
Like most of us I had seen a few videos of Garg's comedy, but I knew nothing about her.
And what a remarkable life she has had, she grew up in a wealthy family in India. When she was 14, her father decided she would be in an arranged marriage, and she refused to marry, making her homeless. The memoir then covers how she came to America, and her life of great joy and failures prior to becoming a comic. Yes, there is humor, but this is not a book of snappy one liner comments but instead a book of a woman finding her own path, it just happens to be comedy.
I am now a fan. By the way, after reading the book, I went and watched the comedy special she mentions. After the very end of the show, she brings onto the stage her husband and kids. It was so much fun to see them after reading about them.
June 17, 2025
All the stars for this audiobook and this will be a fav of 2025. It was so interesting, genuine and funny. I laughed and laughed and laughed. Thanks!
November 2, 2025
I absolutely loved this memoir. Wow. For one thing, Zarna is hilarious. It is also an inspiring and touching story of someone with a really unfortunate childhood who ended up living her dream. Zarna lost her mom to illness, and she was not interested in the marriage her dad tried to arrange for her (when she was 14!). She left India to become a student in the US. She dared to find her own husband, someone whose company she enjoyed. She raised children with him, and learned to navigate the complicated world of New York City private schools. Then in middle age, with a degree in law and 20 years of being a full time mom, she decided to become a stand-up comedian. Her children were wonderfully encouraging to her in this bold move into a very difficult career.
Zarna is a woman after my own heart, saying the things that are true, but no one is supposed to say them. I love her frankness and her sass.
I loved learning about her Indian culture. She is brutally honest in her opinions on what she loves about her culture, and the Indian traditions that seem absolutley bonkers to her.
Read this book if you enjoy comedy, immigrant stories, success against all odds stories, Indian culture, women's freedom, or the cutthroat world of NYC private schools. I highly recommend the audiobook, which Zarna narrates.
I learned about this book from a recommendation by Malala Yousafzai, whose new memoir is out now. I haven't read it yet, but I do plan to. I loved I Am Malala.
Zarna is a woman after my own heart, saying the things that are true, but no one is supposed to say them. I love her frankness and her sass.
I loved learning about her Indian culture. She is brutally honest in her opinions on what she loves about her culture, and the Indian traditions that seem absolutley bonkers to her.
Read this book if you enjoy comedy, immigrant stories, success against all odds stories, Indian culture, women's freedom, or the cutthroat world of NYC private schools. I highly recommend the audiobook, which Zarna narrates.
I learned about this book from a recommendation by Malala Yousafzai, whose new memoir is out now. I haven't read it yet, but I do plan to. I loved I Am Malala.
August 11, 2025
When I first started reading this book I found it to be relatable, insightful, and funny, and it reminded me a lot of Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime. I have been seeing a lot of Garg’s content on Instagram, Youtube, and I watched her special on Prime. I found her observations and opinions to be poignant and hysterical and I liked her schtick as an Indian auntie who tells it like it is. I was really moved by her experience growing up and being a homeless teen on the streets of Mumbai because her affluent father wouldn’t support her individual freedoms and rights as a young woman.
Around the middle of the book, her story stopped being so relatable. There are chapters about the difficulties of enrolling your kids in NYC schools – including the super-relatable experience of having to write $100,000 annual donations to private schools so they’ll accept your kids. The way this anecdote is related is from the perspective of “I objected to this ideologically and wanted my kids to go to public school so they would be more equipped for life’s hardships.” But it’s like Garg didn’t listen to her many coaches and paid staff because all I heard was “I can afford to live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, have a second “weekend” house, have 3 children, and write $100K donations on a single salary”. There is nothing relatable about that and it’s a tacky misfire. It’s actually a humble brag and I think that she might need to do some deep introspection about where her values lie – does she want to be valued for her smarts, artistry, and opinions or does she want the world to know how much money she has?
After that, it took a pretty big downturn for me because the book essentially flipped to being unabashedly about money – how much does Garg have, how much does she spend, look how she can now support this lavish lifestyle on a comedy career. I thought the rags-to-riches element of the book was going to be about how Garg went from an under-appreciated teen with no right to an opinion to this outspoken middle-aged woman whose opinions were heard far and wide. I thought there would be a strong feminist angle to it. I thought comedy would be the hero because it allowed her a voice. Instead, the rags-to-riches element was literally that – from poor teen to rich and famous and, in her telling, comedy is the hero because it makes her rich.
So many things sat poorly with me about this – first of all, how can she possibly earn enough doing stand up (plus other comedy endeavors) to match her husband’s paycheck that supported a <1% lavish lifestyle? Especially when she describes the army of people she hired to coach her/ turn her into a comedian. Plus her failed business endeavors, each of which must have led to some financial loss. The math doesn’t math for me. Second, there are plenty of starving comedians out there who consider comedy to be an art form and not a get rich quick scheme. She thumbs her nose at those that can’t get rich on comedy. Third, I found the messaging to be inconsistent and confusing. In her IG posts, I’ll see her joke about the patriarchy and try to explain feminist concepts to her family members. I thought there would be a stronger emphasis on women’s rights and the value of women in the book, but, while it was expressed at times, it wasn’t a clear theme. She often contradicts it in her comedy when fawning over her oldest son and how he’s her favorite. Fourth, it makes me uncomfortable the extent to which she drags her family in and uses them on her comedy. The essay at the end of her book by Shalubh is really cringe – my wife is so smart and capable, etc. I get that she thinks that about herself – I just read her whole book. Why do I need to read you bragging about how great your wife is? What value does that add to the book? Same with the kids. Why are they props in her comedy routine? I’m actually pretty impressed by how Shalubh was able to move to the U.S., get a business degree, and get such a high-paying job in such a short amount of time. Yet Zarna seems to have an axe to grind – like many women who stayed home instead of building careers – about proving how capable and valuable she was. It’s like her husband and kids are patronizing her, loudly and publicly, to boost her self esteem.
Finally, my takeaway feeling is one of deep discomfort. I won’t be searching out her content anymore because I feel like it’s a means to an end rather than art. It feels AI generated and formulaic – hire enough people to create art for you, pay them enough money, and you too can feature on The View and Good Morning America. Like the parents who hire coaches to get their kids into Ivy Leagues. At the end of her Prime special, after parading her family on to the stage as though that’s a fun experience for a teenager to have, she yells a brag about getting paid or making money. Why would you say that to the people who paid to come see you? They are there to support your art and for their own entertainment – they are not donating to you personally or invested in your level of success. If you are good enough that you become successful, good for you, the audience got enjoyment out of your path to that place. Don’t brag to the audience about how you duped them in to supporting you and now you’re richer than they are. Tacky.
Around the middle of the book, her story stopped being so relatable. There are chapters about the difficulties of enrolling your kids in NYC schools – including the super-relatable experience of having to write $100,000 annual donations to private schools so they’ll accept your kids. The way this anecdote is related is from the perspective of “I objected to this ideologically and wanted my kids to go to public school so they would be more equipped for life’s hardships.” But it’s like Garg didn’t listen to her many coaches and paid staff because all I heard was “I can afford to live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, have a second “weekend” house, have 3 children, and write $100K donations on a single salary”. There is nothing relatable about that and it’s a tacky misfire. It’s actually a humble brag and I think that she might need to do some deep introspection about where her values lie – does she want to be valued for her smarts, artistry, and opinions or does she want the world to know how much money she has?
After that, it took a pretty big downturn for me because the book essentially flipped to being unabashedly about money – how much does Garg have, how much does she spend, look how she can now support this lavish lifestyle on a comedy career. I thought the rags-to-riches element of the book was going to be about how Garg went from an under-appreciated teen with no right to an opinion to this outspoken middle-aged woman whose opinions were heard far and wide. I thought there would be a strong feminist angle to it. I thought comedy would be the hero because it allowed her a voice. Instead, the rags-to-riches element was literally that – from poor teen to rich and famous and, in her telling, comedy is the hero because it makes her rich.
So many things sat poorly with me about this – first of all, how can she possibly earn enough doing stand up (plus other comedy endeavors) to match her husband’s paycheck that supported a <1% lavish lifestyle? Especially when she describes the army of people she hired to coach her/ turn her into a comedian. Plus her failed business endeavors, each of which must have led to some financial loss. The math doesn’t math for me. Second, there are plenty of starving comedians out there who consider comedy to be an art form and not a get rich quick scheme. She thumbs her nose at those that can’t get rich on comedy. Third, I found the messaging to be inconsistent and confusing. In her IG posts, I’ll see her joke about the patriarchy and try to explain feminist concepts to her family members. I thought there would be a stronger emphasis on women’s rights and the value of women in the book, but, while it was expressed at times, it wasn’t a clear theme. She often contradicts it in her comedy when fawning over her oldest son and how he’s her favorite. Fourth, it makes me uncomfortable the extent to which she drags her family in and uses them on her comedy. The essay at the end of her book by Shalubh is really cringe – my wife is so smart and capable, etc. I get that she thinks that about herself – I just read her whole book. Why do I need to read you bragging about how great your wife is? What value does that add to the book? Same with the kids. Why are they props in her comedy routine? I’m actually pretty impressed by how Shalubh was able to move to the U.S., get a business degree, and get such a high-paying job in such a short amount of time. Yet Zarna seems to have an axe to grind – like many women who stayed home instead of building careers – about proving how capable and valuable she was. It’s like her husband and kids are patronizing her, loudly and publicly, to boost her self esteem.
Finally, my takeaway feeling is one of deep discomfort. I won’t be searching out her content anymore because I feel like it’s a means to an end rather than art. It feels AI generated and formulaic – hire enough people to create art for you, pay them enough money, and you too can feature on The View and Good Morning America. Like the parents who hire coaches to get their kids into Ivy Leagues. At the end of her Prime special, after parading her family on to the stage as though that’s a fun experience for a teenager to have, she yells a brag about getting paid or making money. Why would you say that to the people who paid to come see you? They are there to support your art and for their own entertainment – they are not donating to you personally or invested in your level of success. If you are good enough that you become successful, good for you, the audience got enjoyment out of your path to that place. Don’t brag to the audience about how you duped them in to supporting you and now you’re richer than they are. Tacky.
April 28, 2025
I had no prior awareness of Zarna Garg, but I enjoy memoirs, so I picked this one up. It was loads of fun, and now I'm a fan. I always appreciate memoirs that take me into a culture in ways that are difficult to access in real life. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Garg's descriptions of her upbringing in India, her move to the United States, and her life raising children in New York. Her New York life is affluent, and often, her "problems" weren't very relatable to people outside the private-school demographic in NYC - but I still enjoy learning about this aspect of American culture, particularly when it's presented with humor.
I expect Zarna's fan base will love the book. Like me, I expect others to become fans after they read it. With summer approaching, This American Woman would be a good vacation or beach read.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ebook in exchange for a review.
I expect Zarna's fan base will love the book. Like me, I expect others to become fans after they read it. With summer approaching, This American Woman would be a good vacation or beach read.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ebook in exchange for a review.
June 25, 2025
Zarna has always been one of my favourite comedians - she’s effortlessly hilarious and speaks the mind of most indian women. In this book, Zarna walks us through her life of a privileged kid born and raised in Mumbai, until she becomes homeless at 14, and her journey to America and to who she is today. Her story makes you laugh as much as it does cry. I haven’t felt such strong opposing emotions multiple times within pages in the same book. It shows you the reality of a not so rosey life of a girl in India - even if she’s from a privileged family.
I loved her writing style, I read the entire book in her voice and finished it in 2 days. I couldn’t put the book down for the first 65% of it, but once she was out of the woods and was talking about her comedy career, I found it to be a little dry and repetitive.
Zarna’s story is incredibly inspiring. Highly recommend this book, especially if you love watching her videos!
I loved her writing style, I read the entire book in her voice and finished it in 2 days. I couldn’t put the book down for the first 65% of it, but once she was out of the woods and was talking about her comedy career, I found it to be a little dry and repetitive.
Zarna’s story is incredibly inspiring. Highly recommend this book, especially if you love watching her videos!
August 16, 2025
(audiobook)
2.5 ✨
Rating has little to do with the book, which was fine, and funny at times. But imploring everyone in my life to please intervene if you see me pick up another memoir, we have learned our lesson and need to stop.
2.5 ✨
Rating has little to do with the book, which was fine, and funny at times. But imploring everyone in my life to please intervene if you see me pick up another memoir, we have learned our lesson and need to stop.
October 8, 2025
Wish I could hit up Zarna for advice. Love her ‘can do’ attitude and hope to take that into my own pursuits!
July 30, 2025
Went into this one completely blind not knowing about the author at all and really enjoyed this Indian American immigrant stay at home mom turned successful stand up comedian. Moving, funny and great on audio including snippets of sections from the author's family. Highly recommended for fans of books by Mindy Kaling or Lilly Singh. I love a good success story about women chasing their dreams in midlife and killing it!
December 17, 2025
Incredible story of someone overcoming adversity. Garg shows hundreds of examples of being fearless: moving to America, posting about herself to a singles website at the infancy of the internet, and trying new professions. It got better as the book progressed.
December 6, 2025
There’s a real story of resilience and grit here; but it gets overshadowed by the heavy use of model-minority framing and overt stereotypes. Garg’s book, her comedy, and her other work read as an ongoing effort to signal alignment with upper-class, upper-caste norms and with whiteness more broadly, all while reminding us that she has gobs of money. Because of that, her version of resilience feels geared toward her own upward mobility, even as it draws on stereotypes that impact many others. South Asia functions more as scenery than as a community she speaks from or is accountable to.
December 13, 2025
Comedian Zarna Garg shares her remarkable story of survival and achievement from homelessness on the streets of Munbai to moving to the U.S. and establishing a career in comedy.
Although I don’t usually read celebrity memoirs, this one intrigued me. I was engaged from page one with a thoughtful, earnest, humorous, and often self-deprecating glimpse into a life I’ll never live. Zarna Garg is forthright and not shy about sharing insights and opinions about life in India and the United States.
One of the most compelling aspects of the memoir is the cultural differences between India and the U. S. Differences in marriage customs, wedding celebrations, education, and family life. After her mother dies at fourteen and her father tries to force her into an arranged marriage, Zarna leaves home and lives on the streets of Mumbai before deciding that coming to the U.S. to live with her older sister and her husband is her best option. As she adjusts to life in Ohio, she must adapt to a new culture, which is an ongoing process as she secures an education, marries, has children, and pursues a career.
Among the many thoughtful and discussable themes are loss of a parent, cultural differences, private vs public education, and identifying your strengths to carve out a career path.
Content Consideration: Death of a parent
It’s rare for me to recommend celebrity memoirs. Fans of against-the-odds stories, candid reflections, and diverse reads will enjoy this memorable account of a strong woman’s journey.
For more reviews visit my blog www.readingladies.com where this review was first published.
Although I don’t usually read celebrity memoirs, this one intrigued me. I was engaged from page one with a thoughtful, earnest, humorous, and often self-deprecating glimpse into a life I’ll never live. Zarna Garg is forthright and not shy about sharing insights and opinions about life in India and the United States.
One of the most compelling aspects of the memoir is the cultural differences between India and the U. S. Differences in marriage customs, wedding celebrations, education, and family life. After her mother dies at fourteen and her father tries to force her into an arranged marriage, Zarna leaves home and lives on the streets of Mumbai before deciding that coming to the U.S. to live with her older sister and her husband is her best option. As she adjusts to life in Ohio, she must adapt to a new culture, which is an ongoing process as she secures an education, marries, has children, and pursues a career.
Among the many thoughtful and discussable themes are loss of a parent, cultural differences, private vs public education, and identifying your strengths to carve out a career path.
Content Consideration: Death of a parent
It’s rare for me to recommend celebrity memoirs. Fans of against-the-odds stories, candid reflections, and diverse reads will enjoy this memorable account of a strong woman’s journey.
For more reviews visit my blog www.readingladies.com where this review was first published.
October 3, 2025
Insightful, funny, sad, and somewhat inspirational. Most people will probably like this book. I did like the first half. But towards the middle I started to feel put off by the author. The writing was good, I can’t fault her there. It was often witty and informative. But it was icky to hear about how much her hedge fund manager spouse made and how she was bored and annoyed with not working. I’m not sure why she didn’t I guess? It wasn’t explained other than her husband made a ton and they lived on the upper east side in NYC. She spent a good deal of time discussing sending all 3 of her kids to an insanely expensive private school but wanting them to go to public school in high school so that they could toughen up and use it as life experience to have it be “the hardest thing they go through in life.” This was with the caveat that her and all her relatives spent a ton of time trying to get interview spots for the best public schools in NYC for her kids. Most people don’t really have those problems. In fact I’d say most of this book was rich people problems that I just don’t have a lot of sympathy for in today’s general atmosphere. Like hedge fund managers wife thinks public school is “roughing it” is absurd and honestly she really dwells on money and status a lot and I mean I do get she spent a couple hard years as a child bouncing around after her father kicked her out but she lost touch, and maybe acquired an ego and embraced the humble brag. She also included essays from all of her kids and her husband which didn’t strike me as necessary and didn’t add anything for me. It was making me think they’re setting their kids up nicely to become nepo babies. So to summarize, this is mostly a good book but rich people are so annoying.
November 27, 2025
I loved this book!! I learned about Zarna through the Good Hangs podcast (which I also highly recommend). Such an interesting life story and of course funny because she is a comedian. I listened to the audiobook which was told by her which is also a plus.
May 1, 2025
I rarely give 5 stars,but this book really deserves it. I also rarely read memoirs, and indeed, I didn't even realize when I got this book on NetGalley that I have been watching Zarna online for years.
What a life she has led.
Her beginnings in life as the daughter of a rich man's second wife, she was very loved by her half siblings, who protected her from the frequent wrath of her unreasonable father. Her mother died when she was 10, and when she was 14, her father began looking for a husband for her. This is not unusual, apparently, even today.
Zarna ran away and lived a rough existence for 2 years until she finally got a student visa and came to live with her sister in Cleveland.
In this funny but sometimes sad memoir, we learn how Zarna dealt with life. The chapter on her wedding is sometimes unbelievable, but she did marry for love. We learn about her children and her life in Manhattan.
The humor that she brings to her life and now her stand-up comedy.
I enjoyed her journey as a girl, wife, mother, and finally, a successful stand-up comedian. A fortune teller predicted she would be a success if she talked and talked, and she does she is.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. These are my honest opinions. Read the book and go watch some Zarna videos.
What a life she has led.
Her beginnings in life as the daughter of a rich man's second wife, she was very loved by her half siblings, who protected her from the frequent wrath of her unreasonable father. Her mother died when she was 10, and when she was 14, her father began looking for a husband for her. This is not unusual, apparently, even today.
Zarna ran away and lived a rough existence for 2 years until she finally got a student visa and came to live with her sister in Cleveland.
In this funny but sometimes sad memoir, we learn how Zarna dealt with life. The chapter on her wedding is sometimes unbelievable, but she did marry for love. We learn about her children and her life in Manhattan.
The humor that she brings to her life and now her stand-up comedy.
I enjoyed her journey as a girl, wife, mother, and finally, a successful stand-up comedian. A fortune teller predicted she would be a success if she talked and talked, and she does she is.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. These are my honest opinions. Read the book and go watch some Zarna videos.
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