How to Be Alone

In these bitingly honest autobiographical essays, comedian Moore chronicles the aftereffects of being raised by emotionally abusive and indifferent parents. After high school, she left home and moved to New York, hoping to find a soulmate and hide away from anyone who might hurt her. In “So Your Family Dictates Your Romantic Future? What a Fun Punishment!”, she explains how her parents displayed pride only after their kids had grown up; in “Maybe Someone Else Will Love Me and That Will Fix Everything,” she writes about sexual abuse (“sexual assault is not your ‘my first time’ story if you don’t want it to be” is the book’s most heartbreaking and encouraging line) and dysfunctional adult relationships. In the title essay, about trying to find a partner, Moore writes, “Telling yourself not to look for love is like telling yourself not to look for food or air or water or clothes that fit you perfectly.” Almost as if trying to bolster herself, Moore points out that being single and alone isn’t a life sentence. Within this compassionately told memoir, Moore offers hard-won advice for those looking to get beyond a painful past. (Nov.)