For me, I’ve found comfort in memoirs and essay collections that speak to people’s personal experiences. With one exception—Zadie Smith’s new essay collection—the books below were written before 2020, but they all help illuminate what it’s like to be alive right now. These are books about disasters, pain, and suffering, as experienced and understood by the writer. Some are about what it’s like to grow up Black in the U.S., helping us understand why we say Black Lives Matter. Some are about natural, technological, and personal disasters. All of them combine personal experience with insights into our historical moment. Any of them might make you feel less alone. Looking for more great nonfiction? Check out these round-ups of innovative and genre-bending works of nonfiction from 2020.
