Nonfiction storytelling is at its best in this anthology of excerpts from memoirs by thirty authors—some eminent, some less well known—who grew up tough and talented in working-class America. Their stories, selected from literary memoirs published between 1982 and 2014, cover episodes from childhood to young adulthood within a spectrum of life-changing experiences. Although diverse ethnically, racially, geographically, and in sexual orientation, these writers share a youthful precocity and determination to find opportunity where little appeared to exist.

All of these perspectives are explored within the larger context of economic insecurity—a needed perspective in this time of growing inequality. These memoirists grew up in families that led “hardscrabble” lives in which struggle and strenuous effort were the norm. Their stories offer insight on the realities of class in America, as well as inspiration and hope.

Contributions by: Maya Angelou, Russell Baker, Kim Barnes, Rick Bragg, Rosemary L. Bray, Mary Childers, Paul Clemens, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Vivian Gornick, Pete Hamill, E. Lynn Harris, Daisy Hernández, Oscar Hijuelos, Richard Hoffman, bell hooks, Mary Karr, Michael C. Keith, Michael Patrick MacDonald, Bich Minh Nguyen, Joe Queenan, Luis J. Rodriguez, Richard Rodriguez, Esmeralda Santiago, Sandra Scofield, Kate Simon, Brent Staples, Michelle Tea, Tobias Wolff, Monica Wood, Howard Zinn