Meredith Monday Schwartz

She's totally aware of that.

She comes from this privileged background, and none of that is her fault.

But all of it is, it definitely colors the narrative.

As much as I think many readers will feel seen here, I think there are a lot of other people who are going to have a really hard time.

taking her pain seriously when she clearly has, she had a lot of options that other people don't have in this situation, which actually is one of the most interesting things about the book.

Yes, there are places where I found myself rolling my eyes at Belle's burdens.

But it's tough, right?

Because I think there are so many times where we, especially as women, are experiencing real pain about whatever's going on in our lives.

And we think, well, should I really be this upset about this?

Because other people have things so much worse.

I know I've had that thought a million times, but the reality is that we are each going through the thing that we are going through.

And I don't think it's probably right to prioritize one person's pain over another.

but this book puts that tension right in your lap and asks you to decide how you feel about it i'll also say being honest that i didn't feel warm and cozy toward belle at any point and definitely not by the end i think she's someone who by her own personality holds people at a remove and that is okay

You don't have to finish this book feeling about her the way I think most people end up feeling about Jen Hatmaker at the end of her memoir, Awake.

Belle is different.

She's different than Jen.

She's more guarded.

She's more careful.

And the result is a reading experience that is compelling, but it is not at all intimate.

I'm glad I read it, though, and I'm glad that Bell Burden wrote it.