Books like A charmed life by Mary McCarthy

Jeannette Walls' memoir chronicles her turbulent childhood in a dysfunctional, itinerant family, detailing poverty, alcoholism, and homelessness across the United States as she seeks stability and personal growth.

The Bell Jar is the sole novel by Sylvia Plath, a psychologically intense and autobiographical look at a young woman’s decline into mental illness.

Martin Eden is a 1909 American novel by Jack London that traces a young writer’s striving for literary success and romantic fulfillment amid the hardships of working‑class life.

Zora Neale Hurston’s Pulitzer‑winning novel follows Janie Crawford’s journey of self‑discovery and empowerment, mapping her search for love, independence, and identity against the backdrop of the African‑American South during the early 20th century.

A professor's harrowing experiences during the Industrial Revolution in post-war America, as he struggles to survive the chaos and loss around him.

A poetic reflection on the life of Jack Kerouac’s character, Dean Moriarty, transformed into the mysterious Cody Pomeray. A collection of New York sketches from the 1950s, intimate portraits of Kerouac’s close friends, and recollections of their drug and alcohol-addicted conversations, it’s Kerouac’s most ambitious work and a companion to his celebrated 'On the Road'.

A riveting novel about the intersection of politics, terrorism, and literature

Rose Campbell returns to her roots in this sequel to 'Eight Cousins'.

Elizabeth Bowen’s The Heat of the Day is a psychological war novel set in London during the Second World War.

"When Rory Macintosh's roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they'll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job...unbeknownst to Rory. Tyler has told Rory that he's not good enough for her. She's smart, doctor smart, while he's barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can't seem to stay away from her, and even when Rory knows she should push him away, something about him makes it nearly impossible for her to resist--even though her heart is at stake... Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler's broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost.."--

Set in the coastal town of Dunnet, Maine, this tale follows the quiet rhythms of women’s lives amid the rugged shoreline and dense firs, exploring social customs and economic realities of small-town America.

Two American sailors tell their past stories aboard their sailboat.

Louisa May Alcott's early writings, based on diary entries from the ages of eleven and thirteen, offer insights into her thoughts, feelings, and early poetic efforts.

A heartwarming coming-of-age story about a prep school student trying to fit in with his adoptive tribe while hiding his true self.

Eight Vassar graduates navigate love, careers, and the social whirl of 1930s Manhattan, exploring relationships, contraception, motherhood, and marriage in a candid portrait of women’s lives.