About the book
'Her story is intimate and revealing about what it is to smile and what it means when you can't' Cynthia Nixon
The extraordinary story of one woman's ten-year odyssey that brought her physical, creative, emotional, and spiritual healing.
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 her own mother. But Sarah is in the unlucky ten percent. And for a woman, wife, mother, and artist working in theatre, the paralysis and the disconnect between the interior and exterior brings significant and specific challenges. So she begins an intense decade-long search for a cure while simultaneously grappling with the reality of her new face - one that, while recognisably her own, is incapable of accurately communicating feelings or intentions.
Smile is Ruhl's piercing, witty, lucid chronicle of her journey. 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 mother to three small children, and the desire for a resilient spiritual life in the face of illness.
Brimming with insight, humility, warmth and humour, Smile is a triumph: an intimate examination of loss and reconciliation, and above all else, the importance of perseverance and hope in the face of adversity.
Editions of Smile
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781529113167
Read an Excerpt
'Her story is intimate and revealing about what it is to smile and what it means when you can't' Cynthia Nixon
The extraordinary story of one woman's ten-year odyssey that brought her physical, creative, emotional, and spiritual healing.
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 her own mother. But Sarah is in the unlucky ten percent. And for a woman, wife, mother, and artist working in theatre, the paralysis and the disconnect between the interior and exterior brings significant and specific challenges. So she begins an intense decade-long search for a cure while simultaneously grappling with the reality of her new face - one that, while recognisably her own, is incapable of accurately communicating feelings or intentions.
Smile is Ruhl's piercing, witty, lucid chronicle of her journey. 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 mother to three small children, and the desire for a resilient spiritual life in the face of illness.
Brimming with insight, humility, warmth and humour, Smile is a triumph: an intimate examination of loss and reconciliation, and above all else, the importance of perseverance and hope in the face of adversity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Smile about?
'Her story is intimate and revealing about what it is to smile and what it means when you can't' Cynthia Nixon
The extraordinary story of one woman's ten-year odyssey that brought her physical, creative, emotional, and spiritual healing.
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 her own mother. But Sarah is in the unlucky ten percent. And for a woman, wife, mother, and artist working in theatre, the paralysis and the disconnect between the interior and exterior brings significant and specific challenges. So she begins an intense decade-long search for a cure while simultaneously grappling with the reality of her new face - one that, while recognisably her own, is incapable of accurately communicating feelings or intentions.
Smile is Ruhl's piercing, witty, lucid chronicle of her journey. 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 mother to three small children, and the desire for a resilient spiritual life in the face of illness.
Brimming with insight, humility, warmth and humour, Smile is a triumph: an intimate examination of loss and reconciliation, and above all else, the importance of perseverance and hope in the face of adversity.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Smile?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Biography and non-fiction prose > Memoirs
Where can I read a sample of Smile?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781529113167
How long is Smile and how many pages does it have?
Smile has 256 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Smile?
Sarah Ruhl
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Smile is available as paperback(ISBN 9781529113167)
Where can I buy Smile online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Smile from below