This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memoir
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Award-winning comedian Zarna Garg turns her astonishing life story into a hilarious memoir, spilling all the chai on her wild ride from escaping an arranged marriage and homelessness in India to carving her own path in America and launching a dazzling second act in midlife.
“A deeply honest and hilarious book about how you always win if you bet on yourself.”—Amy Poehler
Throughout Zarna’s whole childhood in India, everyone called her “so American” just for reading the newspaper, having deep thoughts, and talking back to anyone over the age of thirty. When Zarna’s dad tried to marry her off at age fourteen, Zarna fled—first to the streets of Mumbai and ultimately to the glittering paradise of Akron, Ohio, where she got to become American for real.
On Zarna’s very American quest to find herself and her calling, she threw herself wholeheartedly into roles like dog-bite lawyer, crazy perfectionist stay-at-home mom, Indian matchmaker, prizewinning screenwriter, and more. It wasn’t until a dare led her to a stand-up comedy open mic that Zarna finally found her spiritual home: getting paid cold hard cash for her big fat mouth.
And as Zarna discovered, after surviving the brutal streets of Mumbai, the cutthroat world of stand-up comedy is nothing.
This American Woman is an exuberant story of fighting for your right to determine your own destiny and triumphing beyond what you ever dreamed was possible. Zarna’s mantra becomes a call to action: It’s never too late. If Zarna can do it, you can, too.
“A deeply honest and hilarious book about how you always win if you bet on yourself.”—Amy Poehler
Throughout Zarna’s whole childhood in India, everyone called her “so American” just for reading the newspaper, having deep thoughts, and talking back to anyone over the age of thirty. When Zarna’s dad tried to marry her off at age fourteen, Zarna fled—first to the streets of Mumbai and ultimately to the glittering paradise of Akron, Ohio, where she got to become American for real.
On Zarna’s very American quest to find herself and her calling, she threw herself wholeheartedly into roles like dog-bite lawyer, crazy perfectionist stay-at-home mom, Indian matchmaker, prizewinning screenwriter, and more. It wasn’t until a dare led her to a stand-up comedy open mic that Zarna finally found her spiritual home: getting paid cold hard cash for her big fat mouth.
And as Zarna discovered, after surviving the brutal streets of Mumbai, the cutthroat world of stand-up comedy is nothing.
This American Woman is an exuberant story of fighting for your right to determine your own destiny and triumphing beyond what you ever dreamed was possible. Zarna’s mantra becomes a call to action: It’s never too late. If Zarna can do it, you can, too.
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Community Reviews
This memoir is hilarious, which you’d expect from a comedian, but parts of it are also heartbreaking and honestly kind of shocking. What she went through growing up is hard to even wrap your head around. I can’t imagine being kicked out of my house and on the street at 14. And then dealing with a dad who continued to be such a shit bag.. The fact that she came through all of that and made something of herself is pretty remarkable. 3⭐️ Book #22 in 2026
"Everyone loves the person who is passionately immersed in their current life.
The world is full of people looking for the next thing.
Be the person who celebrates the thing they have."
I hadn't heard of Zarna before, but the cover of this memoir grabbed me. It was the wide smile on her face, her reckless abandon, and her boldness in grabbing Lady Liberty's torch that drew me in. I thought, "okay, who is THIS American woman?"
Reading this was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. Zarna's early life was filled with sibling love and closeness, as well as unbelievable heartache and trauma that no child should ever have to endure. Her coming of age (the first time around) took equally high and low turns. And yet, somehow she managed to preserve her unflinching sense of self and a sense of humour that baffles me. The incredible village she has built for herself, including her husband and children, her in-laws and her siblings, has given her the height she needed to reach for a second coming of age.
"It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a galaxy to put one back together."
Smiling at her precocious nature as a young girl who talked too much, had opinions, and loved reading. Sympathizing with her as she shared the death of her mother. Crying with her as she talked about feeling she was "interfering in her brother's marriage" (which was NOT a thing... she was a homeless child who needed help for her big brother). Cheering her on as she started a comedy career past 40. And laughing. A lot.
"Everything is figure-out-able..."
Looks like I accurately judged this book's cover. I feel privileged to have gotten to know this American woman a little bit. She's living the dream.
"I told you everybody loves you, Zarna!"
-- Zarna's brother, Suresh
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