Smile

Shortly after giving birth to her twins, playwright Sarah Ruhl, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, discovered that the left side of her face was paralyzed. She had developed Bell’s palsy, a condition that resolves itself in a large majority of cases within three months. But as the months turned into years, Ruhl’s face remained unchanged. In her poignant memoir, Ruhl details her decade-long journey searching for a cure while raising her three children and working in theater. It’s an introspective look at a woman attempting to understand her body, how she presents herself to the world and how the world responds. Sharing wisdom on body image, motherhood and marriage, Ruhl doesn’t just underline what she’s lost in no longer being able to smile, but also what she’s gained.

Buy Now: Smile on Bookshop | Amazon

Contact us at letters@time.com.