Everything Here Is Beautiful

Everything Here is Beautiful is a moving and accurate portrayal of what it is like to walk with a loved one through mental illness. Mira Lee's words describe so well what can be indescribable to people who have not shared this experience. When I read this book I felt understood. This book is a must read for anyone with a family member who suffers from mental illness or for people who would like to understand what life can be like for individuals who suffer from mental illness and their family members.

A beautiful, eloquently written novel. I became completely absorbed in the story of these two sisters and their families. This is a debut not to be missed, and I look forward to seeing what Mira T. Lee does next. Highly recommended!

I loved this book. The writing is quick, smart, and original. It tackles complex subject matter with a gripping, and emotionally powerful story. The main character Lucia is at the center of a tumultuous but absorbing world. The turns her life takes, the decisions she makes, the relationships she forms, her swings from whimsy to rage -- create a world of beauty as well as pain. And everyone around her (the reader included!) is drawn into the beautiful mess, and cannot help but root for her.

I can't stop thinking about this dazzling book, so full of insights on the challenges of sibling relationships, the ravages of bipolar illnesses, and the complexities of family life. I couldn't put it down. Thank you, Mira T Lee!

Such an honest portrayal of mental illness and how vastly different peoples views are of it. I was wrapped up in the characters and their fates for the entire week that I read it; I especially related to Miranda’s fierce love for her sister, and her inherent obligation to try to protect her. I can’t recommend this book enough!

Everything here is Beautiful is the debut novel by Mira Lee. This book is so good that I really look forward to what she will write in the future. This is a book about sisters and love and mental illness.

Two sisters - Miranda, the older responsible sister and Lucia - the younger unpredictable sister move to America with their mother. When their mother dies, it is up to Miranda to help her sister navigate life. When Lucia has a mental breakdown, Miranda is the one who gets her into a hospital and works with her to get better. When Lucia decides to marry an older man and then quits taking her meds, it is Miranda who steps in to help. And then after Lucia decides to move to Ecuador with her younger lover and her new baby, Miranda is once again called in to help. But Lucia no longer wants her help and wants to live her life on her own. How much of Miranda's life needs to be given up to help her sister or has she sacrificed enough and now deserves her own happiness?

This is a well written book told from each sister's perspective. It gives the reader a look at mental illness and how it affects not only the person but everyone else around them. It's the story of love and sacrifice but most important it's a story about family and how to protect those that we love the most.

Thanks to First to Read for a copy of this book.

Everything Here is Beautiful, Mira T. Lee’s emotionally gripping debut, explores the long-term and far-reaching impact of mental illness. Lucia and Miranda are sisters, bound closer by the death of their mother. For most of their lives, Miranda has been her younger sister’s protector, yet she is unable to shield her from the devastating effects of mental illness. Lucia, unwilling to face the reality of her bipolar disorder and possible schizophrenia, forges ahead with life and love, marrying first a gregarious older man and then leaving him abruptly for a younger Ecuadorian man, with whom she has a child. Both of these men, despite their best intentions and love for Lucia, are unable to understand her illness or keep her safe from it, and it is Miranda who is repeatedly called upon to rescue her sister and help to stabilize her.

Spanning decades and continents, Everything Here is Beautiful sensitively examines Lucia’s nearly impossible quest to create a life for herself and her young daughter despite insurmountable odds. Seeking a life of meaning and beauty, she is unwilling to bend to anyone else’s ideas of what that looks like, though the stakes only grow higher each time she gets sick. Through powerful and haunting prose, Lee does an exquisite job depicting the complexity of both Lucia and Miranda’s roles and the difficulty of their choices. Mira T. Lee is a writer to watch, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

I borrowed this book from the local library. All opinions are my own. ?????Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T Lee. Lucia battles her mental illness and it not only effects her but everyone near her feels the pressure to force her to comply with medicinal treatments and Lucia hates the pills. The people in her life she loves most are hurt by her and for her all at the same time. Every whim sends her and her little family down a path none of them could be prepared for and in the end, sadness is the only thing that makes them all whole again. Beautifully written from several characters points of view as to understand how this effects everyone.

verything Here Is Beautiful by author Mira T. Lee is a heartbreaking story about a family in crisis. **If you or a family member suffers from bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, this can be disturbing. **
The story slips between time past and present during the telling, so it is at times confusing. Miranda and Lucia are sisters who have already lived through sadness and troubles. Their mother had often been ill and has died. Lucia also known as Lucy, the younger sister has a history of bi-polar disorder with schizophrenic tendencies. Miranda, the oldest sister does all she can to make sure her sister gets the care she needs, but she can not control her sister's actions through the years. Lucia has had a baby with a young Latino man and sometimes the story is told from his view. Manny does his best to care for little Essy. Over the course of time in the book he faces some excruciating scenes as he tries to help Lucia.
It was extremely sad to read scenes when Lucia is off her meds and Miranda is trying to help her. Miranda's life is strained with the fears, worries, and interventions of trying to protect Lucia.
I know others may disagree with me, but this is a powerfully depressing story. The fallout and anxiety of loved ones and caregivers to try and help the mentally ill is enormous. I can give this opinion due to having a beloved brother who had lived with bipolar/schizophrenia. When he was on his meds and acting 'normal' the family would feel the worst is past, but when the body chemistry changes for whatever reason, life is hell for the patient and the family members who care enough to try and pick up the pieces.

A very sweet portrayal of a young woman's journey with mental illness, and those whose lives she touches. A bit of a cathartic read for me. I'm grateful to the author for putting in writing all the complex thoughts, feelings, dialogues and decisions one must struggle with while loving and living with mental illness.

I loved this book, the writing is elegant and subtle and the characters are vivid. I felt for Miranda and her struggle to take care of her sister, and I was very drawn to Yonah with his warmth and clumsy but well meant attempts to take care of Lucia.

This book, was undoubtedly one of the best I’ve read in a while. It is a multi-cultural tale of the love between two sisters, one struggling with severe mental illnesses, who is a highly functional, yet impulsive character. I loved the richness of the author’s prose and the alternating narratives, told through the major characters. This book truly opened my mind, heart and soul!