2022 Memoir Book Prize Winners

2022 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS

FIRST PLACE WINNER

**The View From Breast Pocket Mountain**
by Karen Hill Anton
(Senyume Press), September 2020. 296 pages

SECOND PLACE WINNER

**Animal Bodies: On Death, Desire, and Other Difficulties**
by Suzanne Roberts (University of Nebraska Press)

THIRD PLACE WINNER

**Finding the Right Words**: A Story of Literature, Grief, and the Brain
by Cindy Weinstein and Bruce L. Miller (Johns Hopkins University Press)

The Best Memoirs in 23 Categories:

INNOVATIVE STORYTELLING:

**By the Forces of Gravity** by Rebecca Fish Ewan (Books by Hippocampus)

HUMOR:

**Things That Crash, Things That Fly**
by Scott Gould
(Vine Leaves Press)

TRUE CRIME:

**The Pale-Faced Lie: A True Story** by David Crow. (Sandra Jonas Publishing)

IDENTITY, MISTAKEN:

Doppelganger: A Memoir of Mirrored Selves by David K. Leff
(Little Bound Books)

ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES:

The Sensitive One
by Susan Frances Morris
(She Writes Press)

INSPIRATIONAL:

Leaving Large: The Stories of a Food Addict by Michelle Petties (‎Brand New Now Press)

SOCIAL JUSTICE:

All Available Light: The Life and Legacy of Photographer Ted Polumbaum, by Judy Polumbaum (McFarland & Company, Inc Publishers)

MORAL CONFLICT:

The Sweden File: Memoir of an American Expatriate
by Alan Robert Proctor
(Open Book Press)

GENDER EQUALITY:

Advancing Reproductive Choice: Leading with Conviction and Compassion
by Elizabeth S. Maguire
(Mont Boron Press)

COMING OF AGE:

**Nasty Girl**
by Polly Hansen
(An Unpublished Manuscript)

IDENTITY, LGBTQIA, INTERSEX:

**Just Promise You Won’t Go on Oprah**
by Elizabeth Murphy
(An Unpublished Manuscript)

TRANSFORMATION OF THE SELF:

**A Dream Life**
by Wendy Swift
(An Unpublished Manuscript)

DEVOTION/GRIEF:

Please Talk about Me When I’m Gone by Sean Murphy
(‎Bright Moments Books)

CAREGIVING:

ADDICTION – RECOVERY:

The Weight of Air: A Story of the Lies about Addiction and the Truth about Recovery
by David Poses
(Sandra Jonas Publishing)

TEACHING, IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE

How To Say “F— Your Mother” in Chinese — A Teacher’s Guide
by Jenna Orkin
(‎Independently Published)

SPIRITUALITY:

Falling Into Grace
by Geoffrey Visgilio
(Self Published)

PUBLIC SERVICE:

Purpose, Passion, and Pajamas: How to Transform Your Life, Embrace the Human Connection, and Lead with Meaning
by Genevieve Piturro
(‎River Grove Books)

SURVIVAL, CANCER:

Fast Forward to Hope: Choosing to Build the Power of Self
by Indira Kaur Ahluwalia

RESILIENCE:

When I Was Her Daughter: A Memoir by Leslie Ferguson (Acorn Publishing)

FORGIVENESS:

ADVENTURE:

No Rules: A Memoir
by Sharon Dukett
(She Writes Press)

ADVERSITY:

**The Smuggler’s Apprentice: A Memoir**
by Joseph Hughes

This has been an amazing contest year. With over 300 entries this year and a pool that seems to get stronger all the time, it was a tough job to pick just one winner in each category. We have been exposed to many unforgettable life experiences, as well as the work of many leaders working tirelessly for social change: nonprofit leaders, community organizers, medical and legal professionals, Ted Talk presenters, and more. In the end, it came down to those books that 3 or more judges unanimously found they could not stop reading!

Furthermore, we have removed honorary mentions this year in favor of creating more category winners. To that end we have created 23 categories of books. Four of these are unpublished manuscripts, of which we will be publishing excerpts in the coming weeks in the hopes that they will soon find the perfect publishing home!

We thank everyone who made this possible. It’s been an honor to read everyone’s stories and we look forward to next year as we begin accepting new Memoir Prize nominations in June 2022.

*Book reviews will be sent by email over the next 30 days.