ivyldc 's review for:

You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir by Maggie Smith

4.25

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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Maggie Smith tells her story of divorce and recovery from divorce in a way that speaks to women, especially Gen-X moms, who find ourselves being full-time moms, full-time working, and with spouses who don't really get it. Even though this book is so poetic, I wanted to slow down, but I literally could not stop reading. The short essay passages and repeated themes and motifs made it easy to keep reading. The inciting incident to her divorce was infidelity by her husband, but she ultimately came to the truth that the marriage probably would not have lasted even if that had not happened. The resentment of her work was a huge issue in the marriage, and it's so relatable. She takes accountability for her actions, as well as being open and raw about feeling betrayed. I rated this 4.25 because it did get a little drawn out at a certain point, which, of course, tracks with the real-world events the book is tackling. I am definitely a fan and will look for her poetry collections.