A memoir is a literary genre where the author recounts personal experiences and reflections from their life. Unlike an autobiography, which covers the author’s entire life chronologically, a memoir focuses on specific events, themes, or periods that have significantly impacted the author. Memoirs offer readers an intimate glimpse into the author’s inner world, often exploring themes such as identity, memory, relationships, and personal growth. Through vivid storytelling and candid narratives, memoirs provide a unique perspective on the human condition, blending factual recounting with emotional and reflective elements. Here are our memoirs.
My Boy Will Die of Sorrow | A Memoir of Immigration from the Front Lines by Efrén C. Olivares offers insight into the real-life toll of immigration and family separation. Olivares reflects on the immigrant experience then and now, on what separations do to families, and how the act of separation itself adds another layer to the immigrant identity.
Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden | Two Sisters Separated by China’s Civil War by Zhuqing Li tells the story of the harrowing lives of two sisters, the author’s aunts, in twentieth-century China. In this riveting and deeply personal account, Li confronts the bitter political rivals of mainland China and Taiwan with elegance and unique insight, while celebrating her aunts’ remarkable legacies.
Searching for Peace | A Memoir of Israel by Ehud Olmert is the compelling memoir of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert who almost made peace with the Palestinians. The book offers a riveting political story and an unparalleled window into Israeli history, peacemaking, politics, U.S.-Israel relations, and the future of the Middle East. Olmert wrote the book almost entirely from inside a prison cell after being convicted of bribery charges in 2014.
The Secret Listener | An Ingenue in Mao’s Court by Yuan-tsung Chen shares the experiences of the author’s life in China under Mao’s regime. It is a personal account of life in the orbit of Mao and Zhao En-Lai and one woman’s effort to tell what it was like to be at the center of the storm.
A Thousand Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir, written by Ai Weiwei, was published on November 2, 2021. The book chronicles Ai Weiwei’s early years and the myriad forces that have shaped modern China. Recounting the memories of Weiwei’s childhood spent in exile with his father, poet Ai Qing, who Mao Zedong branded a “rightist intellectual” for his critical view of the government.
My Time Will Come | A Memoir of Crime, Punishment, Hope and Redemption by Ian Manuel is a harrowing recount of the author’s incarceration after being sentenced as a young teenager. It is the story of how he endured the savagery of the United States prison system, and how his victim, an extraordinary woman, forgave him and bravely advocated for his freedom, which was achieved by an Equal Justice Initiative push to address the barbarism of our judicial system and bring about “just mercy.”
The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor by Sonia Sotomayor looks back into the life of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, adapted for young readers. Learn about Justice Sotomayor’s rise and her amazing work, as well as about the Supreme Court, in this fascinating memoir that shows that no matter the obstacles, dreams can come true.
The Making of a Justice | Reflections on My First 94 Years by John Paul Stevens explores the author’s impactful life as a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. In his memoir, the Justice recounts his extraordinary life, offering an intimate and illuminating account of his service on the nation’s highest court.
Fay Wray and Robert Riskin | A Hollywood Memoir by Victoria Riskin tells the intertwined story of two Hollywood stars. A Hollywood love story, a Hollywood memoir, a dual biography of two of Hollywood’s most famous figures, whose golden lives were lived at the center of Hollywood’s golden age, written by their daughter, an acclaimed writer and producer.
Russia’s Dead End | An Insider’s Testimony from Gorbachev to Putin by Andrei Kovalev is a compelling memoir of the author’s career working inside the Kremlin. It assesses the current dangerous status of Russian politics and society while illuminating the path to a more just and democratic future.
Peter and Amy Bernstein founded Bernstein Literary Agency in 2009. For over two decades, we have worked with over 100 brilliant authors around the globe and across a gamut of subjects to get their books published, and their stories told. We typically work on non-fiction projects, but we have helped bring many fiction books, children’s books, and the occasional cookbook to market. We work with authors in all stages of their careers, from experienced, award-winning, and bestselling ones to debut writers ready to take on the world.
Amitav Acharya
Esther Allen
Gerard Araud
Chris Bohjalian
Andrew Scott Cooper
Vincent Coppola
Eva Dou
Caldwell B., Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.
Bruce Falconer
Gillian Lipton
Sven Steinmo
Robert Suettinger
Tanzina Vega
Olajide Williams
Dalena Wright