After the chaos of 2020, many of us came away looking for meaning and authentic connection. David Maeda’s This Is Not Who We Are could not be more timely or more relevant. In his memoir, David connects his own personal struggles—with finding purpose, romantic connections, and deep depression—to the greater struggles of average Americans during a pandemic and an intense election season.

David’s honest assessment of his own life, both the highs and lows, is entertaining and relatable. He regales us with stories that present what it looks like to orient toward the truth of oneself amidst the expectations and pressures of the world.

If you appreciate memoirs like Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz or A Way Out of No Way: A Memoir of Truth, Transformation, and the New American Story by Raphael G. Warnoc, This is Not Who We Are is for you.