account of hardships; tale of one's struggles
A story or account focusing on the difficulties and efforts one has experienced, often in a personal or professional context.
Everyone was moved by his account of the hardships he had endured.
The company president told us about the struggles during the founding days.
Compound of 苦心 (hardship, toil) and 談 (talk, story). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is formed from standard Sino-Japanese elements.