All These Wonders

The Moth Presents All These Wonders: True Stories about Facing the Unknown by Catherine Burns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A collection of stories told on various Moth stages, all relating to the theme of "Facing the Unknown" and including storytellers old, young, familiar, and fresh.

First thoughts: This book is beautiful, heartbreaking, and timely. What better time to read about facing the unknown than when staring down the unknown? It's a humbling feeling to know you're not alone, or that different from a wide variety of other humans.

Favorite quote: "Honesty matters. Vulnerability matters. Being open about who you were at a moment in time when you were in a difficult or an impossible place matters more than anything." - Neil Gaiman, foreword

Storytelling thoughts: While The Moth is about live storytelling more so than reading, I was still so moved by the emotions of the tellers. I can only imagine how powerful it is to be in the room when the stories are being told. Luckily, there are Moth events in Chicago, so someday (as soon as this month!) I can be in the room. For those who don't live near a city where they have live events, there's always the Moth Podcast or Radio Hour. And for those who don't do podcasts, there's this wonderful book.

Storyteller thoughts: I'm excited to seek out other works by the storytellers featured in this collection - some are published authors, others are comedians with Netflix specials, and others have no obvious connection to the storytelling world, except their humanity and a need to share their beautiful stories.

Recommended for: EVERYBODY. This book is now a permanent fixture in my personal library, and I'm going to share it with anyone who says they need something new to read. I can see this being a great gift for graduates or new parents.

Final thoughts: I laughed and cried and felt better about my place on this planet. This will be one of the few books I reread in my lifetime.

Editor's Note: I received a copy of All These Wonders from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.


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