Sometimes life is difficult: your partner cheats on you, you lose a family member, you can't pay your bills. Other times, life is beautiful: you have the best sex of your life, you get hired for your dream job, you find the courage to write your first novel.

Similar stories of inspiration, courage, and love were shared with bestselling author Cheryl Strayed by readers of her online column "Dear Sugar". The book Tiny Beautiful Things is an enjoyable collection of letters that could have been written by any of us, to which Strayed responds with optimism and tenderness.

Rich in humor, insight, and absolute honesty, this "wise and compassionate" book, as described by the New York Times, is a balm for everything that life brings us.