In 2019, CJ Hauser wrote an essay for the Paris Review about traveling to Texas to study whooping cranes in the aftermath of calling off her engagement. The piece went viral—more than a million people read it—and spoke to the universal feelings that accompany heartbreak. Hauser’s debut essay collection, featuring seven previously published pieces alongside 10 new ones, builds off those themes as the author revisits the love and relationships that have shaped her life. From an essay about grief and resentment over being chosen to spread her grandparents’ ashes to an exploration of a formative romantic relationship with a woman in college, Hauser is refreshingly candid and self-aware. She’s unafraid to get into the hard stuff—and it’s that vulnerability that makes her writing so accessible. Simultaneously clever, heartfelt, and wrenching, The Crane Wife underlines the messy relationship we all have with love. —Annabel Gutterman
Buy Now: The Crane Wife on Bookshop | Amazon
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now, You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time