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During a recent trip to Sedona, Az, we visited historic downtown Flagstaff. My favorite place to shop is the Bright Side bookshop. They boast an excellent selection of genres and local interests. Although I rarely purchase books when traveling by air, I couldn‘t resist a signed copy of Elizabeth Gilbert‘s latest memoir, ‘All the Way to the River.‘ I wrote about my visit on my blog.

abookandadog.com/biblio-boutique/bright-side-bookshop-2025

I‘ve read all EG‘s books, not sure if I loved or hated this but I kept reading. Oprah posted a video of her mentee, Thando, whose response captured my thoughts. To paraphrase: Yes, I read EPL, saw the movie, have the merch. But Liz‘s decisions aren‘t EPL - at all. This is secrets you take to the grave. But she is sharing with us - all the way to the river. ….Yes, Thando! Also, Liz‘s previous writings for Dear Reader are now suspect for me.

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I admire Liz Gilbert as a beautiful thinker, deep feeler, and generous storyteller. In “All the Way to the River”, she shatters the human experience wide open - laying bare her most precious, complicated love story and her surrender to her truth and higher power. This memoir feels less like a book and more like an offering: painfully, tenderly, exquisitely told. 🎧

Oh, Liz Gilbert! What a precious human. Liz‘s unabashed honesty and high-vibrating spiritual approach to self-reflection, addiction, and messes of one‘s own making is a gift that I think can help those open enough to receive it. All the way to the river is an ode to the real, raw complexity of life and the flawed individuals (a.k.a. all of us) who are trying our damndest to work our way through it. 4.5 ⭐️🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Elizabeth Gilbert gets dark in this one… Memoir of her relationship with her best friend, Rayya, who she declares her love and leaves her husband to be with when Rayya is diagnosed with advanced cancer, and each of their struggles with addiction that are triggered in different ways by the experience.