Books like Identical strangers by Paula Bernstein

James McBride’s memoir chronicles his upbringing among twelve siblings in Brooklyn’s Red Hook, revealing his mother’s hidden Jewish heritage and their shared journey of race, identity, and faith.

Carolyn Jessop recounts her coerced marriage, abuse, and daring escape from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑Day Saints, taking her eight children to freedom and contributing to the investigation of Church leader Warren Jeffs.

Howard Dully recounts the chilling aftermath of a childhood lobotomy and his decades‑long struggle to reclaim a life stolen by medical brutality, family complicity, and society’s neglect.

A 16‑year‑old girl, Abby, confides in letters and essays as she battles emotional turmoil in a loveless home with two older sisters—one spiraling into self‑destruction, the other, a seemingly perfect façade.

Elyn R. Saks, a distinguished professor and lawyer, chronicles her lifelong battle with schizophrenia, detailing how she overcame challenges to build a respected career in law, psychology, and psychiatry.

The moving, inspiring memoir of one of the great women of our times, Shirin Ebadi, winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize and advocate for the oppressed, whose spirit has remained strong in the face of political persecution and despite the challenges she has faced raising a family while pursuing her work. Best known in this country as the lawyer working tirelessly on behalf of Canadian photojournalist, Zara Kazemi -- raped, tortured and murdered in Iran -- Dr. Ebadi offers us a vivid picture of the struggles of one woman against the system. The book movingly chronicles her childhood in a loving, untraditional family, her upbringing before the Revolution in 1979 that toppled the Shah, her marriage and her religious faith, as well as her life as a mother and lawyer battling an oppressive regime in the courts while bringing up her girls at home.Outspoken, controversial, Shirin Ebadi is one of the most fascinating women today. She rose quickly to become the first female judge in the country; but when the religious authorities declared women unfit to serve as judges she was demoted to clerk in the courtroom she had once presided over. She eventually fought her way back as a human rights lawyer, defending women and children in politically charged cases that most lawyers were afraid to represent. She has been arrested and been the target of assassination, but through it all has spoken out with quiet bravery on behalf of the victims of injustice and discrimination and become a powerful voice for change, almost universally embraced as a hero.Her memoir is a gripping story -- a must-read for anyone interested in Zara Kazemi's case, in the life of a remarkable woman, or in understanding the political and religious upheaval in our world.From the Hardcover edition.

In his memoir, Albert DeMeo reveals the conflicted life of growing up as the son of the notorious Gambino Mafia killer Roy DeMeo, detailing the hidden legacy of organized crime in New York.