This memoir explores the life of a first-generation Chinese-American woman, navigating the complexities of her dual heritage. Through five interconnected stories, the book delves into the author's childhood experiences, her mother's tales of old China, and the struggles of reconciling these two worlds. The memoir is a blend of reality and mythology, illustrating the author's struggle with her identity, the expectations of her traditional Chinese family, and the challenges of growing up in a predominantly white American society.

This memoir is a profound and heart-wrenching account of the author's impoverished childhood in Limerick, Ireland, during the 1930s and 1940s. The story is filled with tales of survival in the face of extreme poverty, an alcoholic father, a struggling mother, and the deaths of three siblings. Despite the harsh circumstances, the narrative is infused with a sense of humor and hope, demonstrating the resilience of the human spirit.

The memoir is a gritty, often hilarious look at a childhood in a dysfunctional family in a small Texas town. The narrative follows the author's experiences growing up in the 1960s in a family rife with alcoholism, mental illness, and violence. It is a story of resilience and survival, as the author navigates her chaotic home life, the sexual abuse she suffered, and her mother's mental instability, eventually finding solace in literature and writing. Despite the harsh realities it depicts, the book is filled with humor and love, offering a poignant exploration of the bonds of family and the power of storytelling.

"Little Heathens" is a memoir of Mildred Armstrong Kalish's childhood on an Iowa farm during the Great Depression. Kalish recounts the daily struggles and joys of life on the farm, from making do with limited resources to finding creative ways to entertain themselves. Through her vivid descriptions and humorous anecdotes, Kalish paints a picture of a resilient and close-knit community that persevered through tough times with a spirit of determination and optimism.

This memoir recounts the unconventional, poverty-stricken upbringing the author and her siblings had at the hands of their deeply dysfunctional parents. Their father, an alcoholic, and their mother, an eccentric artist, frequently neglected them, leaving them to fend for themselves. Despite their parents' personal struggles, they instilled a love of learning and a sense of self-sufficiency in their children, which helped them to escape their chaotic home life and build successful lives as adults.