Description

‘Elegant … calm and generous’ Mary Beard, Guardian

The must-read, pocket-sized Big Think book of 2020

One of the Guardian’s ‘Best Books to Inspire Compassion’
One of Independent’s Books of the Month
A Cosmopolitan ‘Revolutionary Read’

Ours is the age of contagious anxiety. We feel overwhelmed by the events around us, by injustice, by suffering, by an endless feeling of crisis. So, how can we nurture the parts of ourselves that hope, trust and believe in something better? And how can we stay sane in this age of division?

In this powerful, uplifting plea for conscious optimism, Booker Prize-nominated novelist and activist Elif Shafak draws on her own memories and delves into the power of stories to bring us together. In the process, she reveals how listening to each other can nurture democracy, empathy and our faith in a kinder and wiser future.

Publisher Review

One of the best writers in the world today -- Hanif Kureishi One of the most important writers at work today * Independent * PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS: 'Expect vibrant, vivid and eye-opening descriptions of Middle Eastern life propelled by a tender storyline, all in Shafak's haunting, beautiful and considered prose' * Vanity Fair * Incredibly sensuous and poetic and evocative -- Pandora Sykes * The High Low * Richly uplifting... truly beautiful writing -- Nicola Sturgeon Simply magnificent, a truly captivating work of immense power and beauty, on the essence of life and its end -- Philippe Sands A vivid carnival of life and death, cruelty and kindness, love, politics and deep humanity. Brilliant! -- Helena Kennedy