Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee (debut)
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Release Date: January 16, 2018
Length: 368 pages
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

Mira T. Lee delivers a gorgeous story of the fragile love between two sisters and the mental illness that divides them.

From the Publisher

“Two sisters—Miranda, the older, responsible one, always her younger sister’s protector; Lucia, the headstrong, unpredictable one, whose impulses are huge and, often, life changing. When their mother dies and Lucia starts hearing voices, it is Miranda who must find a way to reach her sister. But Lucia impetuously plows ahead…” 

The Draw

• I often enjoy stories of the bond between sisters.
• The mental illness tie-in appeals to me.
• The gorgeous cover and the fact that Lee is a debut author both drew me in.

{My Thoughts}

What Worked For Me

Much More Than a Mental Illness Story – The core of Everything Here is Beautiful is certainly the mental illness of younger sister, Lucia, but the book itself is much more. It’s a story of immigrants, those coming to and those leaving the U.S. It highlights the differences in the quality of life for immigrants and for expats in different parts of the world. It’s a story of family, big and small, those we’re born into and those we create. It’s a story of love tested by the rigors of life. And, yes, it’s a story of mental illness in the midst of all that. It’s a story of how mental illness can sap the life out of everyone it touches, especially those who love the affected. Lee’s spotlight on Lucia’s schizophrenia/bipolar disorder is done with a delicate hand, never overwhelming the rest of her story, but always present.

“That first hospital stay, I was a compliant patient, a Sweet Asian Doll, and for this I was branded with a Severe Lifelong Mental Illness. Later, I would be told I had a twenty percent chance of maintaining a full-time job, a twenty-five percent chance of living independently, a forty percent chance of attempting suicide, a ten percent chance of succeeding.
I was twenty-six years old.”

The Humanity of Her Characters – It’s not every writer who can so thoroughly imbue her characters with life. Miranda, the older, responsible sister was so much more. She wanted her own life, but it was constantly tainted by her fears for her sister. The push and pull between those two parts of herself felt vividly real. Lucia, wanting so much from life, but facing demons often out of her control made the core of this story. Manuel, the father of Lucia’s daughter, was the character I most admired. An undocumented immigrant from Ecuador, Manny took responsibility when Lucia could not. Tied to a woman he wasn’t sure he loved, Manny did the very best he could to make a good life with Lucia and their daughter.

“He remembered still, that promise he’d made all those years ago. For my daughter, I will try. He had kept that promise a long, long time. He had stuck by Lucia. This was love, or this was duty, he could no longer tell the difference.”

Multiple Perspectives – Everything Here is Beautiful unfolds in long chapters with alternating perspectives. I loved those of Miranda, Manny, and Yohan (Lucia’s husband). Two that were more focused on places were also excellent. I liked Lucia’s sections slightly less, but overall the different perspectives served to weave together an exceptional story.

The Last Chapter – Though there was nothing shocking about the last chapter, it came together with such emotion and finesse, that I’d be remiss not to mention that it felt just right.

What Didn’t

Epilogue – I tend to not to care for epilogues, and the one here is no exception. There was nothing wrong with Lee’s epilogue. It just wasn’t needed. In my opinion the story was complete without it.

{The Final Assessment}

If you haven’t already guessed, I really loved this story. The characters were so rich, so vivid, and the story both hopeful and heartbreaking. It was a book I couldn’t put down and I know it’s a story I’ll not soon forget. Grade: A-

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez – Another wonderful immigrant story, this deals with immigrants from several Latin American countries all living in the same apartment complex.
• My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark Lukach – This nonfiction account of his wife’s bipolar disorder came to mind over and over as I read Everything Here is Beautiful (my review)

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Associate links included within this post.