Patriot: A Memoir
What it's about
Alexei Navalny began writing this memoir after surviving a near-fatal poisoning in 2020. It's the full story of his life: his youth, his turn to activism, his marriage and family, and his campaign against a government determined to silence him, including the attempts on his life and, through never-before-seen writing from prison, his final years. It was published after his death in an Arctic prison in 2024.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for memoir. It's the testament of one of the bravest political figures of our time, and it's surprisingly funny as well as devastating.
You'll love it if you liked
A Promised Land, The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X or Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets
Good to know
The prison chapters, written as a diary, are the heart of the book. It's moving and clear-eyed rather than bitter.
Quick answers
Is Patriot: A Memoir worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for memoir. It ranks #201 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 83.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Patriot: A Memoir about?
Alexei Navalny began writing this memoir after surviving a near-fatal poisoning in 2020. It's the full story of his life: his youth, his turn to activism, his marriage and family, and his campaign against a government determined to silence him, including the attempts on his life and, through never-before-seen writing from prison, his final years. It was published after his death in an Arctic prison in 2024.
How long does it take to read Patriot: A Memoir?
About 12 hours (496 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Patriot: A Memoir won?
NBCC Award (Memoir) winner (2024).
What should I read after Patriot: A Memoir?
If you liked it, try A Promised Land by Barack Obama, The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne or Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets by Svetlana Alexievich.
By the numbers
- Readers94 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller23 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz51 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.
NBCC Award (Memoir) winner (2024).
Where it ranks
- #39 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #34 of the 481 new books we rank
- #201 of the 2,819 books we rank
Won
- NBCC Award (Memoir) winner (2024)
Reads as
True story
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