Description

Instant New York Times Bestseller
NPR Best Book of the Year
Time Best Book of the Year
Oprah Daily Best Memoir of the Year

“A bittersweet study in both grief and joy.” —Time

Maggie Smith, bestselling poet and author of *Keep Moving*, offers a deeply moving memoir-in-vignettes that examines the unraveling of her marriage and her journey toward self-renewal. *You Could Make This Place Beautiful* begins as a personal account of heartbreak but expands into a broader exploration of modern womanhood, ingrained gender roles, and the persistent power imbalances that exist even within progressive households.

With her signature introspection and compassion, Smith weaves together moments from her life with reflections on secrecy, anger, forgiveness, and the very nature of storytelling. Each fragment builds upon the last, forming a powerful meditation on family, work, and the patriarchy.

In the tradition of writers like Deborah Levy, Rachel Cusk, and Gina Frangello, Smith delivers a fearless examination of what it means to reclaim one’s own narrative. At its core, this is the story of a mother’s unwavering love for her children and a woman’s determination to cherish and honor herself.

Above all, *You Could Make This Place Beautiful* is, as Ann Patchett describes, “extraordinary” in its ability to show how, from the wreckage of loss, we can find strength, reclaim our power, and create something new and beautiful.