As autumn’s chill sets in and leaves begin their fiery descent, we find ourselves drawn to the eerie allure of both fiction and non-fiction that challenge our understanding of fear. Why is it that the real world, filled with its untold stories and unsettling truths, can often be much scarier than the concocted terrors of horror novels? If you’ve ever felt a shiver while reading a memoir, you know what I mean. In this spirit, we’re diving into memoirs that tackle the uncanny, the enchanting, and the downright creepy. From tales of magical realism to explorations of identity and loss, these narratives remind us that reality itself can be a haunting narrative waiting to be unearthed! So, grab a cozy blanket and prepare yourself for stories that linger long after the last page is turned. Curious about what made our list? Well, let’s get started! LEARN MORE
‘Tis the season for terrifying horror novels. But we think real life can be just as scary. Here are some of our favorite memoirs from recent history that bring the enchanting, the uncanny, and the creepy.
1. The Man Who Could Move Clouds by Ingrid Rojas Contreras: The granddaughter of a curandero probes her magical history after she starts sharing dreams with her mother and sisters. (2023)
2. The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption by Shannon Gibney: The adopted Black daughter of white parents weaves her own story in with the fictional story of the girl she might have been had she remained with her birth mother. (2023)
3. The Fact of a Body by Alex Marzano-Lesnevitch: A law student — staunchly against the death penalty — finds their beliefs shaken when a particular murder case reveals parallels with their own past. (2018)
4. Mean by Myriam Gurba: Hiding in the shadows of this coming-of-age story about Gurba’s life as a queer, mixed-race Chicana is an exploration of monstrousness, and a real-life ghost story. (2017)
5. We Were Witches by Ariel Gore: This work of autofiction — closely based upon the author’s life as a teen mom — weaves in some delightfully witchy elements. (2017)
We could go on (we looove this genre) but we want to see your recs. Which memoirs gave you the creeps (in a good way)?
