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!

I have to start off by saying I rarely read autobiographies. Too many egos get in the way. However this storyline intrigues me. I am so glad I picked it up.

Besides being female and growing up in Ohio (Zaria landed in Ohio from Mumbai), we come from truly different walks of life. I learned a lot about Indian culture and tenacity through quick wit and a mouth that does not always suit up. That is part of the charm.

This book was a quick read as each page made me look forward to what happens next.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy.

I’ve only seen a couple clips of Zarna’s standup but I remember enjoying it. I really like reading memoirs because you learn so much about someone and then you feel this special bond as their career grows. I will definitely keep an eye out for Zarna.

Zarna’s story is unique and I think her outlook on life is something we could all learn from.

I loved the pictures that were included!

Thank you to NetGalley, Zarna Garg, and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for the opportunity to read This American Woman. I have written this review coluntarily and honestly.

This was a funny and moving memoir. Zarna has taken an extremely difficult upbringing (feel like that is quite an understatement) and has made a beautiful life. I am now going to look up Zarna's special because she is so entertaining in writing! Highly recommend reading this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this memoir. I have never laughed so hard in my life. She is such a funny woman. I read this in one sitting. I would definitely recommend this book.

This American Woman is an honest point of view as told through the lens of Zarna Garg. This book will keep readers on their toes for sure.

It's very hard to be an Indian American and not have heard of Zarna Garg. With her witty, sarcastic yet realistic humor and her constant pineapple-cutting, Zarna is truly an incredible woman. This American Woman is her memoir, where she shares her background, her roots, and the journey that led her to where she is today.

As an Indian woman in my mid-forties, I could completely relate to some of Zarna’s experiences in India as well as in the US. Once again, she proves that everything we see on social media is just the tip of the iceberg. Her story, from being a child yearning for her parents’ affection, to losing them both literally and emotionally, to surviving as a homeless 14-year-old, and later carrying those traumas into adulthood in America with all the visa issues is both emotional and inspiring. Her zeal to be an independent woman, a good wife and a perfect stay at mom will definitely resonate with a lot of women.

Knowing the pain she carried and her determination to succeed despite her insecurities makes me admire her even more. I'm so glad she wrote this memoir, it will no doubt inspire others and prove that age is never a barrier when it comes to following your passion. Written with a witty humor interspersed with the realities of life this book would be interesting as an audiobook, which I am planning to listen later on for sure.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for inviting me to read this book.

Zarna Garg’s memoir is a joy to read. Becoming a stand up comic later in life, she finally found her calling. Turning her life story into a hilarious read, she takes her mid-life crisis to a whole new level🙂 After surviving the streets of Mumbai, stand-up comedy is easy. Garg lets us know that it’s never too late to find your destiny! Thank you to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed Zarna’s truly unique story and perspective. There’s a laugh on every page, in spite of plenty of very serious topics. If you enjoy her standup, you’ll love this book. Also just great for people who want to expand their horizons and get a window into the life of an incredible woman.

As a preface, I don't read a lot of nonfiction and even a subset of those that I've read have been memoirs so this was a new genre for me to dive into, but I found myself DRAWN into Zarna's story. I was crying, I was laughing, and I felt I was right there along with Zarna as she shared her life story.

I had known of Zarna prior to reading this book, seeing some clips on Tik Tok and knowing about some of the work she's doing in the comedy world, but didn't know very much about her background or her life before. This book opened my eyes into the person behind the comedian: the mother, daughter, sister, wife, etc that grew into the stand up comic that we see today.

The book, itself, was written in a way that flowed, and showed her own comedic personality in every page. I really felt like it was a story of her life rather than just a list of facts and I learned so much about Zarna. At times, I found her portrayal of India to be overly critical but as an Indian American, I also recognize that we all have a complicated and different relationship with our homeland.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and sped through my read. It's even got me thinking about other memoirs by comedians that have been suggested to me in the past and I might actually pick them up now. I typically feel it's a bit strange to "rate" a memoir, but this one was easy to love and I gave it 4.5/5 stars. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If you've seen even a small clip of Garg's standup, you know that she plumbs her own life for her act but does it with style and consideration for others. This memoir tells her story, a story of resilience and determination. It's poignant, it's funny, it's a testament to going after what you want. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read and I'm looking forward to seeing more performance by Garg.

Wonderful memoir! I saw Zarna on tv in a comedy special. She was so funny. I was thrilled to see this book come out and couldn’t wait to read it. It certainly lived up to my expectations. Thanks Zarna for sharing your stories. I’m just starting to listen to your podcast and enjoying that as well.