Harrowing, heartbreaking, painful yet somehow, at the same time beautiful, hopeful, and a paean to human resilience and the redemptive power of love, both romantic and platonic. Make no mistake, this is a very hard book to read, not because the writing is difficult but because the content can be hard to stomach. One of the most honest books I ever read. It is an embrace of life, with all its tragedies included.