Elizabeth Gilbert chooses books about women overcoming difficulty

The author of the global hit “Eat, Pray, Love” picks books about women overcoming difficulty. Her memoir, “ All the Way to the River ”, explores her relationship with a friend and lover who died in 2018.

The Summer Book

In this slim, magical novel, a wild young girl and her equally wild grandmother spend the summer on a remote Finnish island, using adventure and creativity to heal from loss. Never has childhood girl power been more eloquently expressed. I call this my favourite book nobody has ever read.

The Awakened Woman

There is no easy pathway from rural African poverty, illiteracy and early marriage to a doctoral degree in America – but in this memoir , Trent shows how she created that path for herself, with relentless drive and the guidance of her ancestors. This is the her