The Guilty Pleasure of a Surprising New Life

An elegant memoir sparked post-divorce reflection for our Managing Editor

10 years and a remarriage later, I still tip-toe back to the memories of my post-divorce life lightly. It was a transition that required releasing a deep history, like a snake shedding old layers to find itself newly raw and translucent. Maggie Smith’s elegant You Could Make This Place Beautiful, a patchwork memoir of grief and healing, spoke to me on t…