Roxanna Asgarian

Roxanna Asgarian has established herself as a vital voice in contemporary narrative nonfiction, bringing unflinching empathy and structural sophistication to stories that demand to be told. Her debut book, We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America, exemplifies her gift for weaving intimate family portraiture with larger systemic critique. By centering the voices and humanity of those most affected by the child welfare system, Asgarian moves beyond abstract policy debate to reveal the lived consequences of institutional decisions made in courtrooms and caseworker offices across America.

The remarkable recognition We Were Once a Family has received speaks to both the book’s emotional resonance and its significance as contemporary reportage. Winning the 2023 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction placed Asgarian among the year’s most important voices, and the subsequent 2024 Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction underscored the enduring power of her work. This cross-award recognition is particularly noteworthy—it signals that Asgarian has written something that transcends the moment of its publication, offering readers not just a story about one family’s tragedy but a profound examination of love, loss, and the American systems that shape our most vulnerable citizens.