Graphic Memoir Defined: 12 Illustrated Memoir Books

A graphic memoir (or graphic novel memoir) is an autobiographical storytelling genre that combines prose and visual art for a multimedia experience. The ratio between text and visual elements differs between creators—some graphic memoirists might use extensive art for a full visual experience, while others might choose to use primarily text supplemented with doodles and drawings.

Graphic memoirs are a rising genre, coming to prominence in the 1980s with the publication of Art Spiegelman’s graphic memoir Maus, a powerful story about the Holocaust that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992. Since then a wide range of graphic novels and memoirs have arrived on the market for children, young adults, and adults. Related genres include prose memoirs, Japanese manga, and comic books.

Here are some of the most influential graphic memoirs from the 1990s to the present day:

1. 1. An Age of License by Lucy Knisley: A whimsical yet poignant story, this book recounts Knisley’s travel experiences to Europe and beyond on a book tour. She describes and illustrates her adventures, including the food and cats she encounters.
2. 2. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui: This graphic memoir tells the powerful story of Bui’s family as they fled South Vietnam in the 1970s. It explores the devastating effects of forced immigration and displacement.
3. 3. Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast: New Yorker cartoonist Chast details her experiences caring for her aging parents in this funny yet touching memoir.
4. 4. El Deafo by Cece Bell: The author began to lose her hearing at a young age and, as a result, had to wear a large hearing aide throughout grade school. This memoir reimagines her younger self as a superhero as she tries to make friends.
5. 5. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel: The humor writer relates a funny family drama that revolves around sexual orientation and growing up.
6. 6. I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib: This graphic memoir is a heartfelt coming-of-age story about Gharib’s highs and lows growing up as a first-generation citizen of the United States.
7. 7. March by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin: Composed of both March: Book One and March: Book Two, this series, which Nate Powell illustrated, tells the story of civil rights activist John Lewis.
8. 8. Maus by Art Spiegelman: A powerful story about life through the Holocaust, Maus put graphic memoirs on the map as an important storytelling form. Critics and readers alike consider this book one of the best graphic novels of all time.
9. 9. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: One of the most well-known contemporary graphic memoirs, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood chronicles Satrapi’s experiences growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.
10. 10. Rosalie Lightning by Tom Hart: Eisner-nominated illustrator Hart uses the graphic memoir form to confront the memories of losing his daughter Rosalie when she was very young in this New York Times bestseller.
11. 11. Stitches: A Memoir by David Small: This heartbreaking graphic novel tells the story of Small’s childhood and his experience growing up with several medical conditions that ultimately left him mute and struggling to find a place in the world.
12. 12. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott: In this book, Takei shares his experience as a four-year-old in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.

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