Momentum: A Memoir by Emily Brown

A reflection on a life, looking at the influence of family and how coming to terms with experiences in the past provide peace in the present

The First Call was Mine by Kay Blake

A memoir of a life which begins troubled but shows the true power of resilience and the importance of having the right support

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench

A wonderful insight into Dame Dench’s roles from Shakespeare, showing her love for the bard and her appreciation for his words

The Night Garden: Of My Mother by Sandra Tyler

Sandra Tyler in her memoir has crafted something which at times is hard to read in its candour but whose essence is deeply touching

A Paper Orchestra by Michael Jamin

An honest, sometimes excruciatingly so, collection of personal essays, which is also incredibly witty and made this reader laugh out loud

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

The fictionalised true story of Lale Sokolov, the tattooist of Auschwitz – a tale of human survival and the will to endure, as well as love

Kindergarten at 60 by Dian Seidel

A great book, describing Seidel’s experience teaching English to students in Thailand – in a kindergarten! Cultural, frank and real.

The Gosling Bride by Eileen Williams

A stimulating, thoughtful memoir about a young girl who enters a controversial church at its height and how this shaped her life and faith

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

The book that begins Maya Angelou’s memoir is full of her experiences at a young age of what is wrong with the world but also, what is right