Free: Coming of Age at the End of HistoryFree: Coming of Age at the End of History
What it's about
Lea Ypi grew up in Albania, the last Stalinist outpost in Europe, a place almost impossible to visit or leave, of queues, scarcity, executions and secret police. To her, it was home: neighbors helped each other and children were expected to build a better world. Then, in December 1990, the regime fell, and everything she thought she knew changed.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Baillie Gifford Prize finalist. It's a funny, moving and thought-provoking memoir about freedom and what it means.
You'll love it if you liked
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
Secondhand Time: The Last of the SovietsGood to know
It's both a coming-of-age story and an essay on politics. The ending shifts in tone.
By the numbers
- Readers76 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller13 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz19 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #175 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #205 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1163 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Free: Coming of Age at the End of History worth reading?
Yes. It was a Baillie Gifford Prize finalist. It ranks #1,163 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Free: Coming of Age at the End of History about?
Lea Ypi grew up in Albania, the last Stalinist outpost in Europe, a place almost impossible to visit or leave, of queues, scarcity, executions and secret police. To her, it was home: neighbors helped each other and children were expected to build a better world. Then, in December 1990, the regime fell, and everything she thought she knew changed.
How long does it take to read Free: Coming of Age at the End of History?
About 8 hours (336 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Free: Coming of Age at the End of History?
If you liked it, try Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick or Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets by Svetlana Alexievich.