Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

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

19 reviews

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.75

 I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again but I love it when poets turn their hands to prose, whether it be fiction or non-fiction. This memoir by poet Maggie Smith, explores the break-up of her marriage, the marriage itself and how she and her children moved forwardafterwards, in a series of short vignettes. And the prose is simply exquisite. To say it was a pleasure to listen to (the audiobook is narrated by the author) sounds incredibly callous given the pain of the subject matter. And yet her insightfulness and her honesty- while only sharing what she felt comfortable sharing, especially when it came to her children - made for a memorably poignant read. And the prose then elevated it to another level. Although every marriage is different certain aspects of Smith’s experience hit home as I’m sure they did for many other female readers. I hope never to experience the end of my marriage. But if I do I know I’ll return to this beautiful memoir for a sense of solace and of hope.
 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Misogyny

elderwoodreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

My main criticism of this book is that Smith spends a lot of time setting boundaries with the reader about her story, specifically around her kids, yet she tells a very vulnerable story about her son at one point.

where he says he does not feel like has a family

Past that I think this was a great reflective work and story of both a marriage and a divorce. I will be seeking out more of Smith's work later. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

Moderate: Pregnancy, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Blood

Minor: Alcohol

briannad4's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Infidelity and Pregnancy

mmartinko11's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Miscarriage, and Infidelity

caseythereader's review

challenging emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Grief, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Pregnancy

thebookpirahna's review

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity

kcarney86's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Grief, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Mental illness, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Miscarriage

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Infertility, Cursing, and Pregnancy

rachelkreadsbookz's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity

mroth's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

I loved this. It was honest, beautiful, eviscerating, deeply intellectual, and deeply deeply human. Smith has an incredibly engaging story to tell, but she doesn’t rest on the basic: she questions how and what she is trying to say always. This was the book I wanted Foreverland to be. What a gorgeous gut punch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Infidelity

kiragreads's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Miscarriage