All My Puny Sorrows

From the bestselling author of Women Talking, a "wrenchingly honest, darkly funny novel" (Entertainment Weekly).


Elf and Yoli are sisters. While on the surface Elfrieda's life is enviable (she's a world-renowned pianist, glamorous, wealthy, and happily married) and Yolandi's a mess (she's divorced and broke, with two teenagers growing up too quickly), they are fiercely close-raised in a Mennonite household and sharing the hardship of Elf's desire to end her life. After Elf's latest attempt, Yoli must quickly determine how to keep her family from falling apart while facing a profound question: what do you do for a loved one who truly wants to die?

All My Puny Sorrows is a deeply personal story that is as much comedy as it is tragedy, a goodbye grin from the friend who taught you how to live.

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336 pages

Average rating: 8.08

36 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Anonymous
Apr 02, 2025
6/10 stars
idk this was good. i liked its perspective on suicide and mental illness. hit close to home in some parts. i get the purpose of all the in between stuff with family, to display familial bonds and whatnot. but i don’t think they were as powerful as the moments of elf and yoli together. overall, not bad. 3.25
willis
Aug 13, 2023
8/10 stars
I reread all of the series for book club and I love this series! Love the bat boys!

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