A review by savvylit
All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews

dark emotional reflective sad
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

All My Puny Sorrows is a devastating book about a deep love between two sisters. Inspired by her own sister's death, Miriam Toews has written a book that is both beautiful and sorrowful in equal measures. It's clear that she knows all too well what it feels like loving someone who no longer wishes to live. All My Puny Sorrows is also one of the most astonishingly empathetic books about depression that I have ever encountered. This novel represents mental illness as a literal, genuine illness. Unfortunately, that is still a rare thing to encounter in art.

Highly highly recommend this to anyone who is willing to read such a deeply sad yet moving story.
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