This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memoir

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Award-winning comedian Zarna Garg turns her astonishing life story into a hilarious memoir, spilling all the chai on her wild ride from escaping an arranged marriage and homelessness in India to carving her own path in America and launching a dazzling second act in midlife.

Don't miss Zarna Garg's new standup special, Practical People Win, now streaming on Hulu!

"A deeply honest and hilarious book about how you always win if you bet on yourself."--Amy Poehler

Throughout Zarna's whole childhood in India, everyone called her "so American" just for reading the newspaper, having deep thoughts, and talking back to anyone over the age of thirty. When Zarna's dad tried to marry her off at age fourteen, Zarna fled--first to the streets of Mumbai and ultimately to the glittering paradise of Akron, Ohio, where she got to become American for real.

On Zarna's very American quest to find herself and her calling, she threw herself wholeheartedly into roles like dog-bite lawyer, crazy perfectionist stay-at-home mom, Indian matchmaker, prizewinning screenwriter, and more. It wasn't until a dare led her to a stand-up comedy open mic that Zarna finally found her spiritual home: getting paid cold hard cash for her big fat mouth.

And as Zarna discovered, after surviving the brutal streets of Mumbai, the cutthroat world of stand-up comedy is nothing.

This American Woman is an exuberant story of fighting for your right to determine your own destiny and triumphing beyond what you ever dreamed was possible. Zarna's mantra becomes a call to action: It's never too late. If Zarna can do it, you can, too.

Author: Zarna Garg
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 04/29/2025
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.97lbs
Size: 8.58h x 5.83w x 1.08d
ISBN: 9780593975022

About the Author
Zarna Garg is a force of nature with a mic. America's first Indian immigrant mom comedian burst onto the scene in 2023 with her first special, One in a Billion. Her follow-up special, Practical People Win, hits Hulu in 2025. Zarna cut her teeth opening for icons Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Her acting debut in the indie hit A Nice Indian Boy earned rave reviews, while her hugely popular Zarna Garg Family Podcast explores modern family life with her husband and kids. With millions of social media followers and billions of views, Zarna just can't stop laughing her way to the top.