“This American Woman” by Zarna Garg
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🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

My husband and I went to see Tina Fey and Amy Poehler a few months ago and we were blown away by their opening act, @zarnagarg . I had tears of laughter streaming down my face within the first 3 minutes of her set and I knew I would be immediately doing a deep dive on her once I got home. To my surprise, I already had the ARC of her memoir without realizing who she was. After reading it, I am even more in love with her. Her book is equal parts heart wrenching and hilarious. She has had an intense, traumatic life, but she remains her most authentic self through it all and that’s why everyone loves her. I cannot recommend this book and all of her specials, shows, online content enough. She’s the real deal!

Zarna Garg has written an astonishing life story.
A funny, engaging and relatable read. Garg wrote a fascinating memoir.
From 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.
This American Woman is an energetic story of fighting for your right to determine your own destiny and triumphing beyond what you ever dreamed was possible

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.

I have to admit that I was unfamiliar with this comedian but I enjoy memoirs and the book cover definitely caught my attention. Reading about Zarna and her life journey was fascinating and inspirational. I really enjoyed the way that she incorporated her difficult childhood story into the culture of her family and country. Her spunk helped her survive and thrive in spite of losing her mother, rejection by her father and being a homeless teen in India. Her dating and marriage stories are surely one of a kind and she tells these stories in such humorous and entertaining ways. I was appalled by her descriptions of the educational system in NYC but I guess I learned something about that particular culture in my own country also. Since reading the book, I have watched Zarna’s video, One in a Billion so have seen what a talented comedian she has become through very hard work and sticking with her dreams in spite of all the doubts and insecurities that she describes in her book. I found the book’s pacing a little choppy at times but really enjoyed it overall and will be watching more of Zarna’s videos.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I don’t love giving memoirs a rating, but since this was an advanced copy, it is part of my duty. This is the story of Zarna’a life from childhood to present day. I really enjoyed reading about the parts of her life in India and how different it is from what I know, but I enjoyed even more the parts in America where she was paving her own way to success. Zarna tells her story in a very entertaining, humorous way (which is why she is a comedian, of course!). I didn’t know who she was before this, but I love a good memoir, so thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this. I will be following her a little bit more closely now.

This memoir was hilarious. I have to admit, I had never heard of Zarna before this, but now I want to find all of her videos and watch everything she has done. She is amazing. She had a great childhood, despite her formidible father, but after her mother died, things went downhill. Her father tried to marry her off when she was fourteen, so she ran away, and she lived on the streets of Mumbai, before she finally got her student visa and fled to Akron, Ohio to live with her older sister. On Zarna’s very American quest to find herself and her calling, she threw herself wholeheartedly into roles like lawyer, crazy perfectionist stay-at-home mom, Indian matchmaker, prizewinning screenwriter, and entrepreneur. It wasn’t until a dare led her to a stand-up comedy open mic that Zarna finally found her calling. This book kept me laughing out loud, and I repeatedly found myself reading bits aloud to my daughter. If you are in need of a good laugh - and let's face it, who isn't these days - then you should definitely check this out!

Need a quick, uplifting read? Zarna Gargg’s story hit the spot! Jump in to find out what she went through to become who she is today, and of course, laugh along the way — she is a lovely comedians after all!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been picking up a lot of autobiographies lately of individuals I’m only vaguely familiar with. I’m aware this is a strange way to tackle autobiographies, but it worked really well with this one. You don’t need to know Zarna Garg well in order to enjoy this book. There is a nicely created narrative flow underlying the book, and the tone is light but meaningful. Overall a good book, well written, and a really interesting angle on self discovery, building up your sense of self, and the American versus Indian interpretation of individualism.

Such a funny and touching story about how she managed to escape becoming a child bride and ended up being a stand up comic in the US- as one does!

This is Zarna's journey from being born in India and eventually, the struggles, living from couch to couch when her father at 14 wanted her to marry so he could be free, to going to university, getting married, having a family, creating careers for herself. Each thing that she went through finally brought her to where she could be her authentic self. I had never heard of her before reading the book, but I got to know her through her story. Hope others read her story, and sees that if you don't give up, each thing is a stepping stone to something else. It gives me a little courage.
I received an ARC from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. I don't usually read memoirs, but this one caught my attention, and I will take a lot of what she wrote with me.

Prior to reading this book I had never heard of Zarna Garg so this was a brilliant introduction to her. It begins with her life as a daughter of a very successful businessman in Mumbai, India. At age 14 her father is determined to marry her off to a much older and successful businessman. She resists and when she does she is ejected from the family and becomes homeless and has no job. She struggles and the reader experiences her loss and disappointments. Her dream is to come to America and when she does she has to find her way without much family or many breaks but she tries hard and at age forty meets her future as a standup comedian. She has traveled the world and achieved her goals. As the story progresses I laughed with her, felt her pain, and cheered her successes. I do recommend this book to readers even if they do not know her. By the end of the book you will indeed know who she is. I love the cover of this book.

I wish to thank Net Galley and Random House Publishers – Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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 loved this memoir. I went in knowing nothing about Zarna Garg, but was captivated by her storytelling, humor, and self-awareness. I couldn't put it down.

Thank you Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the advanced reader copy.

I mostly read fiction books and maybe a couple of non-fiction books each year and am so glad that I read this memoir. Zarna does not gloss over what has happened in her life and her writing brings out the emotions of the situations she was in. I also learned more about life in India.

I’d seen Tik Toks of Zarna Garg so I was excited to read her book! She tells the story of her childhood in India, her family life, moving to America, meeting and marrying her husband, raising her children, and making her start in comedy.

Garg’s unique voice shines through, from funny observations and anecdotes to the more difficult and vulnerable passages. Her life story is compelling so that even readers who never heard of her before would still be interested in her journey. And MAN, what a journey - so many obstacles that she met with tenacity and, of course, humor. Several times, I thought, ZARNA, HOW COULD YOU HAVE DEDICATED THIS BOOK TO YOUR FATHER???

Zarna explores the more challenging parts of her life with depth, vulnerability, compassion, and grace.

The ending feels sudden only because her rise in comedy/media is still happening, but in all, it was a joy to read, especially the chapter from her daughter.

Thanks for NetGalley for the digital arc!

“This American Woman was not only inspiring but also incredibly clever. Zarna Garg’s story makes it feel like she’s lived many lives, with everything she has had to face, overcome, and accomplish. Her resilience and humor shine through every chapter. She has truly gained a new fan, and I can confidently say I won’t be missing any of her future work!”

I have really been intrigued by memoirs lately and have been devouring most of them via audio book. However, I was happy to be able to read Zarna Garg's life story, and I gobbled this one up. As a comedian, she has a way with words. While she is making you laugh, she also touches the heartstrings with her tales of growing up in India in a family that was close but also not.

Zarna starts off with her opening act for Tina Fey and Amy Poeheler, and what a hook that was. You knew right away this was going to be an enjoyable read. She pulls on the heartstrings with her life growing up practically on the streets of India, and she whisks us away on her American adventure where she finds her place and family. It was very interesting delving into her life in India and the customs and rituals of families there. Very eye opening how women in America are treated differently. With her grit and stubbornness, Zarna overcame impossible odds to follow her dream and find her place in of all locations: America.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am not sure if I was the target audience for this. I do not TikTok and have never heard of this woman before so I found some of the memoir to be interesting but out of context for me.

I’m not usually big on autobiographies, but Zarna totally won me over. She’s plucky, hilarious, and so refreshingly real. From her chaotic childhood in Mumbai to building a new life in NYC, navigating marriage, motherhood, and that "what’s next for me?" moment so many moms hit — she brings you along for the ride in such a relatable way.
It’s easy to see why she’s killing it as a comedian — her sharp, snarky humor pulls you right in and keeps you hooked. Such a fun, feel-good read!