{"product_id":"you-could-make-this-place-beautiful-a-memoir","title":"You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn her memoir \u003cem\u003eYou Could Make This Place Beautiful\u003c\/em\u003e, poet Maggie Smith explores the disintegration of her marriage and her renewed commitment to herself in lyrical vignettes that shine, hard and clear as jewels.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe book begins with one woman's personal, particular heartbreak, but its circles widen into a reckoning with contemporary womanhood, traditional gender roles, and the power dynamics that persist even in many progressive homes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith the spirit of self-inquiry and empathy she's known for, Smith interweaves snapshots of a life with meditations on secrets, anger, forgiveness, and narrative itself. The power of these pieces is cumulative: page after page, they build into a larger interrogation of family, work, and patriarchy. \u003cem\u003eYou Could Make This Place Beautiful\u003c\/em\u003e, like the work of Deborah Levy, Rachel Cusk, and Gina Frangello, is an unflinching look at what it means to live and write our own lives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is a story about a mother's fierce and constant love for her children, and a woman's love and regard for herself. Above all, this memoir is an argument for possibility. With a poet's attention to language and an innovative approach to the genre, Smith reveals how, in the aftermath of loss, we can discover our power and make something new. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSomething beautiful.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Maggie Smith","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43887418573057,"sku":"9781805302452","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0573\/8600\/8738\/files\/SIMPLEWEBSITEPRODUCTIMAGE-2023-05-10T150910.520.png?v=1683727890","url":"https:\/\/rarebirdsbooks.live\/products\/you-could-make-this-place-beautiful-a-memoir","provider":"Rare Birds Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}