This book, this book, this book. How do you even begin to talk about something so meaningful and perfect? I gave up religion years ago, but Tiny Beautiful Things is my replacement bible. This book is for everyone. It’s the kind of book you just buy extra copies of in advance so you can give it away when needed and not have to risk lending out your own copy. I’ve been flirting with Strayed’s memoir, Wild, for a while now, but I’m kind of glad this one made it to me first.
If you typically shy away from anything self-help, don’t be afraid of this one. It’s just as much memoir as it is self-help. Strayed’s life has been challenging, but her experiences are so rich and fascinating.
This book is basically a collection of essays from Strayed’s “Dear Sugar” advice column written for The Rumpus, an online literary magazine. I’ve always loved etiquette and advice columns, but this one is a little different because instead of taking the usual objective, but somewhat distant stance most columnists adopt, she puts her lived experience into answering Dear Sugar letters. And what a lived experience it is. Strayed has been through some seriously tough shit. More than most. Because she’s been through the shit AND has an amazing ability to bend words and sentences to her will, her writing will change your perspective at the very least. Since reading Tiny Beautiful Things, I’ve been able to view my life and relationships differently and it’s helping me make better decisions in regards to those relationships.
