Poet Maggie Smith never imagined that her career success would lead to the deterioration of her marriage. In her lyrical memoir, Smith tells her tale of heartbreak and rebuilding as she is determined to become a fierce mother even as she finds herself. More than just her story, You Could Make This Place Beautiful contemplates modern womanhood, traditional gender roles, patriarchy's role in society, and the challenges facing women today.

Maggie Smith narrated the audio version of her divorce memoir perfectly. I was captured by her poetic structure and her ability to beautifully turn a phrase so that I felt so many of her lines. Although Smith is trying to be fair and nice, her husband comes off as a complete jackass - a spouse who refuses to be an equal parent and blames the wife for her career success. Smith's story is powerfully relatable to modern women and I absolutely loved her unique take on storytelling.