by Zarna Garg
First published 2025
Zarna Garg transforms her extraordinary journey into a candid memoir that tracks her path from rebellious teenager to celebrated comedian. Growing up in India, Zarna earned the label "so American" for reading newspapers and challenging authority. At fourteen, she escaped her father's attempt to arrange her marriage, fleeing to Mumbai's streets before eventually reaching Akron, Ohio. Amy Poehler calls it "a deeply honest and hilarious book about how you always win if you bet on yourself." Zarna cycles through multiple identities in America: dog-bite lawyer, perfectionist mother, matchmaker, screenwriter. A dare finally leads her to stand-up comedy, where she discovers her true calling getting paid for her outspoken nature. After surviving Mumbai's brutal streets, the competitive comedy world feels manageable. Zarna's story celebrates fighting for self-determination and achieving beyond expectations. Her message resonates clearly: it's never too late to reinvent yourself. The book includes bonus content featuring perspectives from her sons Brij and Veer, plus her husband Shalabh's account of watching his wife launch her midlife transformation.
Genres: american, autobiography, contemporary, biography-memoir, comedy, 21st-century
Vibes: candid, emotional, fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family, reinvention
Setting: Akron, India, Mumbai, Ohio
Period: 21st Century
320 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books