CLICK HERE FOR AN AUDIOBOOK COPY
BOOK SYNOPSIS
With a play opening on Broadway, and every reason to smile, Sarah Ruhl has just survived a high-risk pregnancy when she discovers the left side of her face is completely paralyzed. She is assured that 90 percent of Bell's palsy patients experience a full recovery--like Ruhl's own mother. But Sarah is in the unlucky ten percent. And for a woman, wife, mother, and artist working in theater, the paralysis and the disconnect between the interior and exterior brings significant and specific challenges. So Ruhl begins an intense decade-long search for a cure while simultaneously grappling with the reality of her new face--one that, while recognizably her own--is incapable of accurately communicating feelings or intentions.
In a series of piercing, profound, and lucid meditations, Ruhl chronicles her journey as a patient, wife, mother, and artist. She explores the struggle of a body yearning to match its inner landscape, the pain of postpartum depression, the story of a marriage, being a playwright and working mom to three small children, and the desire for a resilient spiritual life in the face of illness.
An intimate and "stunning" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) examination of loss and reconciliation, "Ruhl reminds us that a smile is not just a smile but a vital form of communication, of bonding, of what makes us human" (The Washington Post). Brimming with insight, humility, and levity, Smile is a triumph by one of America's leading playwrights.
RECOMMENDED FOR: Grown-Ups
OUR BOOKS ARE LISTED BY AGE GROUP to indicate that the content is engaging and appropriate for those selected ages. PLEASE NOTE: They may not be the appropriate reading level for every child at those ages or may extend beyond the brackets.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: October 05, 2021
Pages: 256
Dimensions: 5.79 X 8.81 X 0.96 inches | 0.86 pounds
Language: English
Type: Paperback
Condition: NEW
------------------------------------------
PLEASE NOTE: Not everything that is available in our online collections is in-stock at our Booktique! If you order a book or product that is not readily available at either of our locations, we will notify you immediately via email, confirm your custom order approval, and order your item(s) right away (orders typically arrive within one week) OR we will suggest an in-stock substitution if your order is time-sensitive. Please send us a message or email us at newbookjoy@gmail.com if you’d like to check availability before ordering!
We also have a TON of books and products in our Booktique that we’re working on uploading to our website as we speak… If you’re looking for something that’s not on our online store, please reach out!