City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert:

“After a certain age, we are all walking around this world in bodies made of secrets and shame and sorrow and old, unhealed injuries. Our hearts grow sore and misshapen around all this pain—yet somehow, still, we carry on.”

Gilbert, Elizabeth. City of Girls (p. 342). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Guys, I love Elizabeth Gilbert! As someone who is from a family whose motto is "We Do Not Talk About Our Feelings" she always says/writes what I feel and cannot articulate myself. She speaks to my soul.  Her Instagram/Facebook posts are enough to make me weep sometimes.

That said, can she write a fiction story and still speak to me? Yes, yes, she can.  I loved every single one of these characters, even the dastardly ones, and have so many highlights in my copy that it would hurt your eyeballs to look at it.  E.G. weaves a coming of age story that everyone can relate to even if it is nothing like their life and she teaches you a lesson without moralizing so much that you don’t like her in the end.  Vivian is a privileged girl who learns some harsh lessons about life, but they are lessons we all need to be reminded of every day.

Love, happiness and family comes in many forms and just because someone’s is different than yours, doesn’t make it any less beautiful. 

5 Stars