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.

This was a powerful, wonderful memoir. I loved learning about Garg's life, experiences she's walked through, and how those brought her to where she is. Highly recommend!

I could NOT put this book down. I loved Zarna Garg's memoir right from the start. I did go into it thinking it would be short funny stories of snippets from her life, but quickly found out it's her real, raw, life and how she became who she is. I was tearing up during her first chapters learning about her mother and father and family dynamics. I also laughed out loud so much too especially talking about meeting her husband and dating him. I have followed Zarna on social media for a long time, but this was felt like a really nice window into her life and what shaped her growing up. I also appreciated that she was honest, she was from a nicer part of India, she did face really great success with her husband working at a hedge fund, but she also faced really really awful lows that included homelessness. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who has seen her on social media or the stand up circuit! Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC.

Zarna Garg is a comedian who I have never heard of before reading this book, which isn’t saying much since I am not a person who knows of comedians. I will say, this is one of the most humorous and charming books that I have read. Zarna is completely comfortable making fun of herself, even in the harrowing situations in which she lived as a youth. She is also someone who devoted many years to her family and found herself in middle age, trying to build a business and find herself, a position that I completely understand. I enjoyed every bit of this memoir, from Zarna’s troubled early life in India to her years in the trenches of child-rearing to her rise as a comedian, it is all good material. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

This American Woman is a wonderful book. There are many layers and lots of this and that s..It is truthful, very funny, and heartwarming and it was,very heartfelt to me in all the layers. Zarna has quite a story.! She is remarkable women.
Her her voice writing style is brilliant! I don't want to give away any part of this book, except to say..I highly recommend.
Thanks to net galley and the author ZarnaGarg for the opportunity to read and review this book

Before reading this book I never knew of the author or her story. She has given her readers a in depth story of her immigration to America and her escape from a terrible life. I enjoyed reading this and learning of her success story and her courage.
Thank you to Net Galley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

Okay, Zarna! I had no clue who you were before (sorry!) but you have easily won me over with this memoir.

Funny, engaging, but also thought-provoking walking through the heartache of losing a parent and being abandoned by the other, navigating her way in America with cultural differences, and finding her own path after being a stay at home mom for 20 years.

I teared up, I lol’d. Highly recommend for anyone, even if you don’t follow comedians or read many memoirs. The added pieces by her family were such a nice aspect and Zarna is wildly endearing.

From a homeless teenager on the streets of Mumbai to an affluent housewife on the Upper East Side, Zarna Garg’s story is nothing short of extraordinary. At 14, she fled India to escape an arranged marriage and eventually became an unlikely stand-up comedian with a Netflix special to prove it.

From a young age, Zarna was deeply introspective and fiercely ambitious. Once in the U.S., she navigated the culture shock of reinventing herself as a mother, wife, and Indian woman in a world vastly different from the one she left behind.

My favorite memoirs offer a window into a life completely unlike my own and THIS AMERICAN WOMAN does exactly that. It’s a heartfelt and often hilarious journey through identity, resilience, and reinvention, served with Zarna’s signature wit.

📚 READ THIS IF YOU:
- Believe it’s never too late to reinvent yourself
- Live for a Netflix comedy special
-Have ever dared to dream of a bold, unconventional life
RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)
PUB DATE: April 29, 2025