I first saw Zarna Garg live (opening for Amy Poehler and Tina Fey), then watched her full comedy show before reading her book.

She was hilarious on stage, and I loved learning more about her story. From an upbringing many would admire from afar, she chose to own who she was no matter the cost - and her story brings it to life so well. In a time where everyone has something to criticize and so many have opinions, her ambition, relationships (family, mentorship), and self belief come through the pages!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House - Ballantine for a review copy.

Zarna Garg’s This American Woman is an explosion of heart, humor, and hustle. From fleeing an arranged marriage in India to crushing it on the American comedy scene, Zarna’s journey is as jaw-dropping as it is laugh-out-loud funny. Her voice is sharp, honest, and absolutely irresistible. Whether she’s navigating life as a lawyer, matchmaker, or stand-up star, she proves that reinvention isn’t just possible—it’s powerful. If you’ve ever doubted it’s “too late” to chase your dreams, Zarna’s here to set you straight (and make you laugh until you cry).

Thank you Zarna Garg, Random House Ballantine, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#thisamericanwoman #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

I haven't read a memoir in a while. I had never heard of Zarna Garg before reading this, as I'm not particularly into the comedy scene, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The voice was humorous and entertaining, and the story was both somber and very triumphant. I'm going to have to watch her comedy special now!

Zarna Garg never imagined that her interesting way of observing the world around her could evolve into a successful career in comedy after moving to the U.S. and getting her law degree.

Zarna is a much later child in her parents’ lives, which doesn’t stand out to her much until her siblings are grown, married, and out of the house,and her mother dies, making her marriage (at age 14) her father’s next goal. While it was certainly more traumatic at the time, her retelling of the story in this amusing memoir gives a great sample of Zarna’s humor, since she obviously survived.

The story of Zarna’s marriage, parenting, and evolution of careers was inspiring and entertaining. The story earned 3 out of 5 stars, and her other books would probably prove equally amusing. This (and most likely her other books) could be recommended to those who enjoy parenting stories, books about realized dreams, and stories about Indian cultures and people.

Title: This American Woman: A One in a Billion Memoir
By: Zarna Garg
Pub. Day: April 29, 2025

Genre:
Non-Fiction, Memoir, Comedy, Biography,

Trigger Warnings:
Loss of a parent, Discussion of disturbing situations

Memorable Quote:
“When you lose a parent, you lose your childhood.”

Summary/Review:
This is the tragically bittersweet memoir of Comedian Zarna Garg who grew up in Mumbai, India, and left her family behind after running away from an arranged marriage at the ripe old age of 14. The author masterfully composes her story which is funny in all the right ways and down right devastating in all the others. Her narrative will lift your heart and break it all in the same sentence. I appreciated her humorous, yet honest reflection of life in India. Her inspiring courage to make a better life for herself is a powerful reminder that change is always possible, it's up to us to move forward with hope . I began to read this memoir and it quickly drew me in, I purchased the audiobook and finished my read in a few short hours! Highly Recommend the author’s reading of this audio. Zarna Garg pulled me into her story and as a reader I was laughing out loud while at the same time filling a sucker punch to the gut!

Thank you to Zarna Garg, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, and NetGalley for the opportunity of an Advanced Readers Copy. I am voluntarily leaving my personal review.

#ZarnaGarg
#RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine
#ThisAmericanWomanAoneinaBillionMemoir
#advancedreadercopies
#ReluctantReaderReads
#NetGalley

I had never heard of Zarna Garg until I read about this book on NetGalley. I was especially intrigued by the fact that Amy Poehler had written a blurb for it. Her quote, "A deeply honest and hilarious book about how you always win if you bet on yourself," is completely accurate. This riches-to-rags-to-riches story is definitely hilarious, but also tremendously moving, stunning, and inspiring. What an amazing journey she's had already. Can't wait to hear more.

😂 There are certain books I classify as ‘annoy my husband’ books. They’re the books that I can’t stop talking about the entire time I’m reading them and every one of my sentences starts with, ‘In the book I’m reading…’ And this was one of them! So thank you @ballantinebooks for introducing me to Zarna Garg. Her book, ‘This American Woman’ is out now— and I can’t recommend the audio enough!

😂 When Ballantine emailed me about getting an advanced copy of Garg’s memoir I admittedly had never heard of her, but her story sounded interesting and I love a good memoir, so I was all in. And goodness, am I glad I listened!

😂 Garg is hilarious and seems like such a joy and a bright light in this world. She immigrated to America from India, after running away to escape an arranged marriage at the age of 14. She lived a fascinating life before trying her hand at stand-up comedy in her 40’s! Her journey to get there was so unique and original, and she tells it in such a heartfelt way. I couldn’t help but fall head over heels for her. We even looked up her comedy special and watched it— which you can find on Prime Video btw.

😂 If you’re like me and live for a great memoir, definitely give this one a try. It made me laugh and cry and feel all the feels. I can’t recommend it enough.

Zarna Garg is an immigrant, born and raised in India. She was rich, except for when she was poor; more on that in a minute. Ultimately, she came here for the same reason many people do: she had to make a break for it.

My thanks go to Random House and NetGalley for the invitation to read and review. This book is available to the public now.

Garg works now as a stand up comic, but she has done many things, and worn many hats. First, of course, she was a runaway bride, more or less, bailing from India before her very wealthy father could marry her off as part of a business arrangement.

“If I hadn’t done that, right now I would be a Mumbai grandma in an arranged
marriage to a much older, boring industrialist. I would be draped in brocade silk
saris, but I would have a giant padlock on my big mouth.”

Garg’s immigration—fast and sneaky, which was the only possible way--was made easier by her older sister, who was already living in Ohio. Since then, Garg has finished law school and passed the bar, married another Indian immigrant, had three children, and done a number of other impressive things, but it was her own daughter that asked her mother whether she’d ever considered a career in comedy. It takes someone that’s mentally tough to succeed in that realm, but the streets of Mumbai, where she’d lived hand-to-mouth for two years as a runaway teen following her mother’s death, prepared her well, so she was ready for the gritty world she was entering. She explains,

“…I had played a show at a club on the Upper East Side and a cockroach fell on my head. The night before that, as I walked to the stage I had to step over a communal puddle of throw up from a bachelorette part who refused to leave. They just kept throwing up and laughing. So far my comedy career had been physically revolting—but it was still my dream! Now here I was in my very first New York City green room that smelled like air…I walked out on stage. Two thousand white ladies politely applauded. Oh my god. What was I doing? Would this audience even understand my humor? For them India is incense and chanting. Were they ready for a foul-mouthed real-life Indian auntie who hated meditation? “

I wondered, after watching some of Garg’s stand up work online, whether the book would be a duplication of her routine, more or less; it’s happened with other comic authors. But although there’s a small smattering of shared content, the memoir is mostly unique, and I never had the sense that I’d already seen this before.

Garg is funny enough that I’ve let her speak for herself here. Anyone that needs to laugh hard, and that enjoys reading about the disorientation and culture shock experienced by those new to America should read this book. Highly recommended!

This book has lots of good reviews. For me, the book was meh! Different culture, different sense of humor, maybe? Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complementary digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.

I was not familiar with Zarna Garg before I picked this book up but now I feel like I know her and I admire her so much. It’s not just the rise to fame with her comedy, though she is funny and I found myself laughing out loud so many times. But it’s her honestly and approachability, not to mention her drive and caring that endeared her to me. Her hilarious insights as she navigates the public school system of NY or the cutthroat business world as an entrepreneur made it so relatable and achievable. And her tales of how she made it to the US after her fallout with her father was heartbreaking and inspiring. Highly recommended as an emotional and raw but enlightening and riveting read.

This American Woman by Zarna Gary is a hilarious read that had me laughing throughout. I was also deeply impressed by her grit and determination. It’s not often you see someone brave enough to move to a new continent, leaving their family behind at such a young age. But escaping an unwanted arranged marriage was undoubtedly a strong motivator. I hadn’t heard of Zarna before reading the book, but after enjoying it so much, I’ve since looked her up on TikTok to watch some videos and get more laughs. This book would be a great choice for a vacation or a long weekend read if you’re looking for something lighthearted and amusing.

I knew nothing of Zarna Garg before reading her memoir. WOW. I adored this book. Touching, even devastating at times, Zarna’s triumph is a joy to experience. I have since watched her comedy special, listened to a few podcasts, and went to see her film “A Nice Indian Boy.” Laughter and tears commenced.. I am a huge fan! Read this book!

4.5 stars

Zarna Garg is the embodiment of the American Dream.

This American Woman is a memoir that traces Garg's life from her childhood in India to her eventual rise as a stand-up comic in the US.

Like most reviews have said, this memoir has heart, and that's because Garg does not hold back at any point in her story. The ideal of the American Dream where anyone can make it so long as they pull themselves up by their bootstraps, that is Garg's actual story. Without getting into any specifics, Garg defied all odds and unfortunate circumstances to become the success that she is today. She doesn't tell her story in a self-pitying way, but she just tells it how it is: "X happened, which led to Y, so I did Z."

With that being said, Garg's unabashed honesty in her opinions in the memoir can potentially upset some. She is very matter-of-fact in topics such as white privilege and existing misogyny in societal and cultural norms. All of these are based on her personal experience, so no offense should be taken, but it's also a reminder that this book might not be everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine.

But for those who enjoy diverse representation or who come from an immigrant background, you will find common ground in Garg's work ethic and never-say-die attitude while enjoying it all being told in her unique spunky writing style.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This American Woman is available everywhere now.

Zarna reveals her journey from a teenage girl in India escaping an arranged marriage to becoming an American citizen, creating her own family of her own choice to full-on comedic success. Zara tells as with no filter, and the result is a laugh-out-loud memoir that motivates the reader to do her/his thing and dare to choose yourself without apology
Pursue your dreams at any age ...... 8, 18, 38, 78, 88.....!
I recommend this memoir to all. This book gave me a boost of thinking "I can", while laughing all the way.
#netgalley #ThisAmericanWoman #ZarnaGarg

Funny and moving. I wasn't even familiar with Zarna before I picked this up, but she has definitely had a life worth reading about.

This is an eye-opening memoir that made me both laugh and cry, then laugh again. Zarna delves into very serious topics but somehow kept it light and entertaining while also being informative.

I LOVED this book! I saw her do stand-up on the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler tour and loved her humor. I really enjoyed Zarna's telling of her upbringing in India, family dynamics, and living in America. Very funny but also vulnerable.

The audiobook version of this is awesome too.

There are too many great things to say about this memoir. I loved Garg's POV and humor. I loved reading about her tenacity, determination, and finding the hope that even in your forties, you can finally be who you were destined to be. There were many times I laughed out loud, which then startled my husband, which made me laugh even more. There were times I even cried where something seemed to connect deeply with something inside me.

I learned a lot about another culture while reading this and related to more than I expected. Somethings as a mother are often universal.
All I can say to finish this review, go read this book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this work.

Already telling our library to buy a copy of this for others to read as I recommend it to everyone I know.

Zarna Garg’s memoir is an interesting read. Beginning with her life in Mumbai, Zarna recounts her upbringing as a member of the privileged class, that ended after her mother’s death when Zarna was 14. Since Zarna’s father didn’t want to deal with a girl who talked and argued all the time, his solution was to arrange a marriage for her. Leaving her father’s house and essentially couch-surfing with friends and family, Zarna managed to survive until a student visa to America, sponsored by her sister, came through.

Zarna attended college, got married, and had children, but the pull of stand-up comedy was strong, and Zarna began performing. Finding success, she continued performing, appeared on a TV show produced by Kevin Hart, and eventually headlined her own show. I was really impressed by her strength and determination to succeed. She’s funny and her stories are relatable. I enjoyed reading Zarna Garg’s memoir.

I have not heard of Zarna until recently. NetGalley sent me an eGalley of her book so I read it. To say she didn’t have an easy childhood is an understatement. Being forced into an arranged marriage or be homeless are not choices any teenager I know has had to make, much less right after their mother passed away. A voice like Zarna is not often heard and I hope she ushers in a big change. What’s so great about her is that while there are plenty of things that I cannot relate to I am glad to read something new to me. On the flip side there are other parts which I can relate to.