Penning an advice column for the literary website The Rumpus, [Strayed] worked anonymously, using the pen name Sugar, replying to letters from readings suffering everything from loveless marriages to abusive, drug-addicted brothers to disfiguring illnesses. The result: intimate, in-depth essays that not only took the letter writer's life into account but also Strayed's. Collected in a book, they make for riveting, emotionally charged reading (translation: be prepared to bawl) that leaves you significantly wiser for the experience. . . . Moving. . . . compassionate.
Leigh NewmanMy mom was a social worker. I had a pretty good idea of what the authorities can do when a parent's not around.
Leigh NewmanI don't think many kids question their surroundings. Everything seems so permanent and inevitable growing up, even chaos.
Leigh Newman