Everything Here Is Beautiful

Mira T. Lee’s debut novel, Everything Here is Beautiful, tells the story of a woman’s journey to self-fulfillment despite the difficulties her mental illness brings her. The novel garnered critical acclaim, landing on the New York Times Editor’s Choice list and being titled Book of the Year in 2018 by the Wall Street Journal. Everything Here is Beautiful was published in January 2018 by Penguin Publishing Group. Throughout its pages, Everything Here is Beautiful contemplates a variety of complex issues ranging from the need for balance between the self and family to the ways that mental illness is stigmatized within society.

Lee’s debut novel is a New York Times Editor’s Choice and was named a Best Book of 2018 by various publications, including the Wall Street Journal and O, The Oprah Magazine.

This study uses the 2019 edition of the novel by Penguin Random House.

Content Warning: This novel discusses mental illness and the ways in which it can impact daily life. The content depicts miscarriage and death by suicide.

Plot Summary

As young girls, sisters Miranda and Lucia share a deep and meaningful bond. Miranda, the older of the two, struggles to balance her individual desires with her responsibility to Lucia, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and experiences “episodes” every so often.