Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Wow! Zarna has lived so many lives! I was shocked to learn about all that she experienced, her continuous learning and degrees, businesses she has started and now her booming career in comedy. She shares her childhood about growing up in India, the relationships with her siblings who took her under her wing and showed her support even in the difficult times where a parent was not present. I found this book so motivational in pursing you dreams and trying new things as you never know where it may lead.

How do you review someone’s memoir? Their life story?

Having seen Zarna all over social media, I was interested in her story and what a story it is! Running from an arranged marriage at 14! She ran to Ohio and became an American.

Her struggles and her journey were both inspiring and sad.

After all she had already been through, the comedy scene wasn’t that scary.


Never give up on your dreams is what this inspiring book said to me.


NetGalley/ Random House/Ballantine April 29, 2025

When I started reading, I was not expecting this funny, honest and powerful memoir. Zarna shares everything about her background, including being kicked out of her father's house and spending time homeless as a teenager, and how all of that helped shape her into the very funny woman that she is today. At times the story does feel a bit scattered, just like Zarna's struggle to find herself, but overall I enjoyed the book.
If you enjoy a good biography you will like this story of persistence and determination.

Garg has a really strong voice and is immediately someone you want to root for. Interesting story and thoughtful perspectives on America.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I had never heard of Zarna Garg and now have an appreciation for her upbringing and how she came to comedy.
This was a fun and engaging read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Absolutely no doubt this woman has a wild and wicked, often profane sense of humor. I loved the story of her early childhood and the description of life as a privileged youngster up until the day her birth mother died.

When her dad married again, he wanted his freedom. At fourteen, and with all the guile of a young teen, she knew marriage, kids, the end of an education, and a life of servitude was not what she had in mind for her future. So split she did. Of course, the streets of Mumbai didn't turn out as she’d expected. Returning home, her father began the process of finding her a husband.

When she was finally granted a US Visa and quietly worked out the airfare to join her sister and her American husband, she fled. Yes, she does find a husband and they have three children. Throughout the story, there are observations relayed by her keen sense of humor and delivered with a quick wit and sharp mouth.

“Any woman anywhere can wear the bindi. But married women tend to wear it more because when they wake up the day after the marriage they should know where to aim the gun.”

The story is engaging, filled with anecdotes from funny to hilarious. Observations about life in India, comments about life in America, comparisons of the two, along with some hardcore facts. Needing a little comedy? This one releases in April and will brighten your day.

Written in a style that's easy to read and that moves the story along.

I enjoyed this book so much! Garg writes about the tough times in her young life that make the reader want to know what happens next. She writes about the good times that make you want to cheer for her victories.

Highly recommended.

Appreciation to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I don’t really rate nonfiction the same way I do fiction. This was a fun time. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it was just a lot of fun. I didn’t know that much about this person going in, but I am coming away from it with a deeper respect for the book.

Hilarious, hopeful and inspiring memoir about comedian Zarna Garg. I will be honest--I don't love her comedy. But her book is phenomenal.

Zarna Garg is the youngest daughter of an ambitious, hot-tempered father who rose from abject poverty to immense wealth in 1980s India. Loved and pampered by her older siblings and family servants, Zarna grows up an intelligent, wise-cracking kid. Her much older siblings grow up and get married and become less involved in her life. Shortly after, her mother dies unexpectedly. Bereft and emotionally immature, her father gives 15 year old Zarna an ultimatum: get married or get out of the house. Zarna runs away, spending a year homeless, couch surfing on whoever will take her. Zarna struggles and eventually decides to return home. But at the 11th hour she receives a miraculous opportunity that whisks her away to Akron Ohio.

Zarna takes us through her life as a new immigrant, lawyer, love-struck wife, stay at home mom to three high achieving kids, and ultimately a comedian who will stop at nothing to succeed. Her life has taken such unbelievable twists and turns--I could not put this book down.

My favorite parts of this book were when Zarna shared the raw moments that made her the ambitious, tenacious woman that she is. She roasts everything from the expectations of those around her in India, American opulence and attitudes, wealthy New York City parent culture, being in love inspite of herself, and many other forces that shaped her life. Highly highly recommend this book!

What a powerful story about finding yourself. I really enjoyed reading this one. Thank you for the early opportunity!

This book wasn't on my radar until I received an advanced copy. Well, shame on me. My endless thanks to the publishers because comedian memoirs are catnip for me and this one will go down as one of my favourites.

Zarna Garg has an incredible life story and she tells it with humor and vulnerability. She's brave, she's hilarious, she's brilliant. I couldn't put this book down. HIGHLY recommend.

I absolutely loved this book! Zarna tells her inspiring story with the perfect amount of humor. I really enjoyed her writing style, and I loved that she included photos! This is one of the best memoirs I’ve read. I can’t wait to start listening to her podcast, too. Huge thanks to Random House-Ballantine for reaching out with approval for the ARC from NetGalley. I’m so happy I got acquainted with Zarna, and I look forward to what she’ll do next!

I loved this book. The flow of the life story was amazing. The most powerful thing for me was that she just kept trying. She tried selling toothbrushes, she tried to become a paralegal. She tried and she kept trying.

I have to admit that I had NEVER heard of Zarna and I was just reading it because I wanted to know how a homeless child in Mumbai overcame that and made it to America. NOW, I want to see one of her stand ups.

And her lifestory is AMAZING! My favorite story is the one with her dating her now husband. She went against convention and married for love (shocked gasp! LOL)

The author is an up and coming wonder woman and everyone would benefit to read this book.

She has a never say dreams are dead!

This book will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you grab a brand new notebook to jot down all of Zarna’s wisdom. I expected a funny memoir, to be sure. I did not expect to leave feeling immensely patriotic to my homeland and the land of my heritage, to have a better handle on the mother and the daughter I want to be, and to feel ready to take on the world.

This is one of my top books of the year, and now one of my favorite books ever.

This was such an entertaining book. Zarna is truly funny and tells her story, which is sometimes tragic, in a way that is engaging and inspiring. She uses humor to make light of her difficulties growing up in India with a father who ignores her and a mom she lost early. But her success is due to her grittiness and attitude of never giving up. She’s become well known for stories and insights on growing up Indian. If you’re unfamiliar with the culture, you’ll learn a lot and laugh along the way.

I was so excited to read this book and it didn’t disappoint !! I have loved Zarna Garg ever since the first time I watched her hilarious videos on instagram. Reading her story made me love her all the more. She is a perfect example of the “American Dream”. Her success was hard won and achieved through hard work and determination. She overcame much personal heartache on her journey from India to the USA. The book covers her childhood all the way through current times.
Even if you’ve never seen her comedy routine I would recommend reading this autobiography. She is a great example for girls and older women too. It is never too late to achieve your dreams if you continue to strive and believe in yourself.

I could use all the best adjectives in the English language to describe this book by Zarna! But I will choose one - deeply inspiring.

Every single quote that adorned the beginning of each chapter, should be on a frame on a wall.

I started this book expecting Zarna’s life story weaved with her style of humor… I got that plus more… it’s a story of confidence, grit, resilience, finding your passion and purpose and making things happen!

This book and Zarna’s story has left a deep imprint in my heart, and will fuel the confidence I needed to keep moving forward in my own journey of life! Thank you, Zarna, for sharing your story and inspiring so many of us! More power to you!

The algorithms first introduced me to Zarna from her hour long special. Her memoir goes deep into her childhood and how she made it to the US. After that, the more it went on, the less details we got, so it went fast through her having three kids and being a stay at home mom for many many years (which I think was prolly okay to skip over). Where I really wished it had taken its time was everything about her first steps into stand up and open mics. I was waiting for the book to get there so I think I expected more details, just as much or more as her childhood chapters. I had a lot of fun and really appreciate this comic. Her late rise to fame is really inspiring and I am excited for her next hour long special.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This American Woman is a laugh-out-loud, inspiring memoir that proves it's never too late to chase your dreams. Zarna Garg's journey from escaping an arranged marriage in India to thriving as a stand-up comedian in America is nothing short of extraordinary. With wit, heart, and unfiltered honesty, she shares her struggles and triumphs, making you root for her every step of the way. Her humor is razor-sharp. her storytelling captivating, and her resilience unmatched. A must-read for
anyone who loves comedy, empowerment, and a great immigrant success story. Zarna's voice is unforgettable!

I cannot remember the last time I read a book as quickly as this one. I watched Zarna perform in San Jose last year and would never have imagined the hardships that brought her so far. She is such an inspiration to us desi girls. My only suggestion is to remove the Hitler reference early in the book, that was weird.