5 Memoirs and What Made Them Bestselling

You know what comes closest to knowing someone’s essence? Their memoir. They take you on a voyage into someone else’s life through their lens. All the raw, messy parts, the unfiltered and unforgotten, are showcased in the best cursive, waiting for you to learn, relate, and regrow. But hold on, before you take on this memoir journey, here is a kick-start for you with these five famous memoirs.

Table of Contents

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama – Leadership in Vulnerability

2. Educated by Tara Westover – The Power of Liberation

3. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi – Meaning in Mortality

4. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy – Healing Through Honesty

5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls – Resilience in Chaos

6. Key Takeaways

7. Expert Insights

8. Case Study 

9. FAQs

10. Conclusion

    
    

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is the woman many aspire to be.

 She is a force of nature. She didn’t just tell her story—she invited us with open arms to walk through it with her. From feeling like an outsider at Princeton to being one of the only Black women in every conference room—and even through marital strain—you feel like you’ve lived through it all.

Even after having endured so much, she never held up a sign of pity. Whenever life gave her lemons, she made chocolate cake instead—leaving everyone in awe.

That is the kind of womanhood and strength we so deeply try to strive for. She united us all with a memoir that is political, yet so personal. It is a bestseller not just because of the groundbreaking challenges (which are there as well), but because we all felt seen, and human.

And isn’t that the one thing we truly yearn for?

“Educated” by Tara Westover

If "there is a will, there is a way" were a memoir, then this would be it. Tara takes us on one hell of a ride—how she went from having no birth certificate to a degree from Harvard. Sounds surreal, right? Wait till you actually get your hands on this masterpiece.

This book goes far beyond being a regular memoir; it is, in fact, a revelation of what sheer willpower can do. And the radical power of education, the ache of self-liberation, and the bittersweet feeling of leaving the world you were raised in behind.

What made this memoir stand out among so many was how, after having endured so much, her tone through the whole narrative was never bitter—just reflective. She held her family accountable for the things she had to go through, but never really villainized them. It was as if she walked an emotional tightrope, her life depending on every step.

Truly commendable and a must-read.

“When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi

One thing about life is it is rarely ever fair. But often it is said, it does not matter what cards you are handed—how you play them is what sets you apart. The memoir echoes this very theme. Paul Kalanithi, a renowned neurologist who spent years saving lives, had succumbed to the same poison—stage four lung cancer. Life is full of paradoxes. Just when he was on the verge of everything—career success, becoming a full-time writer, starting a family—life did one of its funny tricks and pulled the rug out from under him. But instead of collapsing, he decided to document the collapse, not to romanticize it, but to find a sliver of hope and compassion.

He invites us to his mind, which was physically debilitated, mentally exhausted, and spiritually bankrupt, yet somehow still hopeful. This unshakeable belief and strength are what make this memoir feel like a journal—a very personal pursuit. He left us with one lingering question: ‘’What makes life meaningful enough to go on living?’’Exactly the kind of question that makes you stare into the face of oblivion.

“I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy

You must be thinking—That sounds straight out of Camus. Absurd indeed. But intriguing? You bet it is.

I mean, seriously—who gets happy when their mother dies? It sounds sickening—one of the cruellest tragedies imaginable.

But that is the strange beauty of this memoir. It holds you by your collar and drags you through the dusky parts of child stardom, toxic motherhood, and the trauma that doesn’t let you sleep.

Jennette offers you a front-row seat to her suffering, her dilemma, and her journey of self-reclamation amidst fame, grief, and healing.

 She never once asks for sympathy—her voice remains steady and detached throughout.

This book is more like a guideline on how to reclaim your energy after a life spent being spoken for and nodding along.

It’s about tapping into your power and owning your voice, no matter what upheavals life throws your way.

“The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls

Survival does not always stand out in a big heroic stunt—sometimes, it is the last strand of that stubborn hope that makes you want to try yet again.

This memoir captures that exact essence. Although born and raised in utter desolation with unpredictable parents, our protagonist never let that stand in her way.

She had every reason—every justification—to paint herself as a victim in any human’s eyes. But she never did. What she has consistently offered is nothing but unvarnished truth, articulated with a form of bravery that most of us can only fantasize about possessing. 

She tells a story of love wrapped up in abandonment, loyalty tangled in neglect - and you, my dear reader, are about to be blown away. 

The real magic of any memoir does not lie in perfection, but instead in authenticity. That is why we are able to relate, because when has human life ever been completely aligned? It is raw, it is messy and unfair but it is also what connects us in this ultimate sphere. 

Key Takeaways

• Some of the commonalities that great memoirs share are emotional honesty, reflective tone and raw vulnerability.

• Every best-selling memoir has a balance of the author's personal suffering and a collective truth that links the reader to the author.

• Many great memoirs share narrative arcs familiar to fiction; including conflict, transformation and resolution. 

• Authenticity and emotional rhythm are more important than the aesthetic decoration of writing. 

• Often a great memoir will point to the expertise of an editor or ghostwriter who separates the mess into clarity. 

  
  

Expert Insights

• Emotional precision: According to consultants in the publishing world, best-selling memoirs often negotiate a balance of emotional depth and emotional restraint; they create a feeling, rather than just reading.

• Consistency of Voice: Editors often remark that the voice of a memoir is like its currency; the voice should be undeniably “you.”

• Timeliness of the Work: Literary agents observe that memoirs written about timely or socially relevant events (identity, resilience, transformation) appear to perform better in the market.

• Ghostwriting and collaboration: Many popular memoirs utilize the services of a ghostwriter. When agreed upon, a ghostwriter can work with a memoir author to balance their voice and authenticity with the professionalism of the writing together as a cohesive story. 

Case Studies

Michelle Obama’s "Becoming"

Strategy: Political perspective and our human vulnerability.

Impact: Sold over 15 million copies and transcended from just a book to a cultural moment.

Tara Westover's "Educated"

Strategy: Framed as both memoir and analysis of education and personal agency.

Impact: Published in 45 languages and changed the conversation about education and self-identity.

Jeannette Walls' "The Glass Castle"

Strategy: A combination of journalistic realism and visceral emotion.

Impact: Was on the New York Times bestsellers list for over 400 weeks.

Rolling Authors Client 

Strategy: Business leader’s memoir refined through Rolling Authors’ editorial mentorship, then pitched to publishers.

Impact: The memoir was published within 6 months and received a traditional publishing deal.

FAQs

Q1: How can a memoir be different from an autobiography?

A memoir is focused on themes, emotion, and tone while an autobiography is simply a linear experience of life, without regard to theme, tone, or emotion although they may be included.

Q2: How long should a memoir be?

Between 60,000–90,000 words. The word count depends on the memoir, genre, and audience. 

Q3: Do best-selling memoirs hire a ghostwriter?

Not always, however hiring a professional to refine tone, pacing, or story before it is published is the most effective path to publishing. 

Q4: How do I find a publisher or agent for my memoir?

You can always query literary agencies, like Siyahi, Red Ink, or Writers Side, or you can partner with Rolling Authors and they will also provide sub-literary representation and support you enough to generate a pitch-ready manuscript.

Q5: What is the most important aspect of a memoir?

The truth written beautifully: authentic always separates itself from perfect.

Conclusion

Whether it is Michelle Obama, recreating how to view power and others, Tara Westover, exhibiting a refusal to be a participant in generational cycles on her will alone, Paul Kalanithi, writing from the rim of life but still somehow, even with a challenge of false hope, sending messages of hope going through life one day after another or Jeannette Walls highlighting surviving chaos with as much grit as she could respectfully withstand! Even in these times, these are examples of bestselling memoirs that demonstrate the truth, no matter how horrific or tarnished, deserves to be spoken out loud, loudly and clearly.

Your story deserves to be remembered, and not forgotten.

We at Rolling Authors will help you enliven your life experiences into memoirs that are powerful and ready for publication; created with compassion, penmanship, and narrative structure.

Join the memoir journey today—work with writers and professionals that understand how to turn your truth into a timeless work of art that can be enjoyed by anyone.

Visit Rolling Authors to get started.

Written by Rolling Authors—professional ghostwriter and editor support to leaders, entrepreneurs, and storytellers to manifest their visions into powerful books.