
All My Puny Sorrows
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Narrated by:
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Erin Moon
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By:
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Miriam Toews
Elf and Yoli are sisters. While on the surface Elfrieda's life is enviable (she's a world-renowned pianist, glamorous, wealthy, and happily married,) and Yolandi's a mess (she's divorced and broke, with two teenagers growing up too quickly), they are fiercely close - raised in a Mennonite household and sharing the hardship of Elf's desire to end her life. After Elf's latest attempt, Yoli must quickly determine how to keep her family from falling apart, how to keep her own heart from breaking, and what it means to love someone who wants to die.
©2014 Miriam Toews (P)2014 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...




















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The most beautiful book I have read in a very long time
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Great author good book
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However, it is masterfully written and very well performed.
Really depressing story
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brilliant story and perfect narration
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Loved everything about this book
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So slow and boring!
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Deserves more stars!
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The story is depressing.
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I’ll also share that the topic of suicide is personal to me, as I’m sure it is to many. Many might relate to the protagonist (Youlandi/Yoli) and storyteller and/or the mother, but I relate most closely to the the storyteller’s sister (Elfrieda/Elf). I struggle mightily with depression and it is also often masked behind my capable, creative, high functioning, and generally affable personality. It is also a very internal struggle; it’s a chronic “darkness” that is hard to verbalize or explain. At the time I came across the movie, suicide was at the front of my mind.
All that said, the relatability of the book content and family dynamics definitely made this an interesting listen. The abundant anecdotes demonstrating every character’s humorous humanity paired with so many great literary references and wonderful writing style made it enjoyable. I laughed out loud frequently.
If you’re capable of carrying darkness and light in the same hand, willing to sit with hard stuff, and appreciate sardonic humor, I recommend this book.
For individuals that think a book can “make them depressed” or think that the TOPIC of depression (or death or disease or aging etc) IS depressing (as opposed to interesting, confusing, enlightening…), I’d probably hesitate to recommend it, though I think it’s an important read.
I think the reason I wanted to read the book after watching the movie was twofold: 1) the obvious - what did the movie miss/change (a good bit), and 2) I hoped that there might be a deeper exploration of the family’s response to suicidal ideation as well as the impact of previous familial suicides (as learned early in the story). I’m still processing #2 but gleaned a lot from hearing the entire book. Like Elf, I’ve struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts for decades. While there are cycles - periods of worsening and lightening - I think it’s important for people to understand that those cycles are exhausting. That even lighter moments can be weighed down by a subconscious anticipation/fear of darkness’s return.
Thought provoking story line
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Good story only too long
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