From Malala Yousafzai to Trevor Noah, here are 10 memoirs that offer a deep dive into the journey of these authors

Imagine growing up in a strict and isolated household on a rural mountain without education or access to medicine. American author Tara Westover candidly recounts her journey of breaking free from her survivalist Mormon family – and how education expanded her world.

“Everything I had worked for, all my years of study, had been to purchase for myself this one privilege: to see and experience more truths than those given to me by my father, and to use those truths to construct my own mind.”

In 2015, a victim impact letter written anonymously by a rape survivor shocked the world – it was viewed more than 11 million times on the Buzzfeed website. It inspired changes in the laws of the US state of California. In this gripping memoir, the survivor decided to reveal her true identity – Chanel Miller – to bring the abuse to light.

“Denying darkness does not bring anyone closer to the light. When you hear a story about rape, all the graphic and unsettling details, resist the instinct to turn away; instead look closer, because beneath the gore and the police reports is a whole, beautiful person, looking for ways to be in the world again.”

Growing up in South Africa during apartheid, where interracial children would be sent to orphanages and parents could be jailed, Trevor Noah was born a crime. He recounts how racism shaped the way he saw himself.

“We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection. But regret is the thing we should fear most.”

Despite being the first Asian superhero in the Marvel Universe, Liu’s life behind the screen was not so glamorous before he found his footing in acting. He struggled with being laid off from his first job and dealing with cultural stereotypes, and his memoir details his journey from immigrating to Canada to starring as a fictional superhero in a Hollywood film.

“On that day I became more than just a comic book character – I became a part of an idea that everyone deserves to see themselves as superheroes, as the leads of their own stories, or simply just as multifaceted beings with hopes and aspirations and flaws.”

As a teen, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman on a school bus. This gripping memoir is about how the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize fought for girls’ education in Pakistan.

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

Born severely premature, Nicole Chung was placed for adoption by her Korean parents and raised by a white family in America. As she started feeling out of place growing up, her curiosity about her biological parents grew, and the memoir details her search for them and the family secrets she uncovered.

“Family lore given to us as children has such hold over us, such staying power. It can form the bedrock of another kind of faith, one to rival any religion, informing our beliefs about ourselves, and our families, and our place in the world.”

Although Stephanie Foo was a successful radio journalist in the United States, the Malaysia-born American found out she was struggling to cope with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) triggered by her trauma from an abusive childhood. This searing memoir captures Foo’s journey of healing from her past.

“The PTSD had always told me I am alone. That I am unlovable. That I am toxic. But now, it is clear to me: that was a lie. My PTSD clouded my vision of what was actually happening.”

Last year, Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming was featured in the Hong Kong university entrance exam’s English reading paper, taking many students by surprise. As the first African-American to serve as the First Lady of the United States, Obama’s memoir is an intimate account of womanhood: her childhood on the south side of Chicago, her years as an executive balancing motherhood and career, and her time in the White House.

“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.”

For those who want to know more about how Nike came together to become one of the world’s prestigious sports brands, this memoir chronicles how the company was founded as Blue Ribbon Sports and its early challenges.

“Like books, sports give people a sense of having lived other lives, of taking part in other people’s victories. And defeats. When sports are at their best, the spirit of the fan merges with the spirit of the athlete.”

This memoir written by the British journalist is a celebration of female friendships; it offer glimpses into the author’s struggles of adulthood.

“To choose to love is to take a risk.”