‘Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts’ by Josie Shapiro
Treat yourself when it comes to debut authors – the appeal of the unknown and what do they have to present. Where have their ideas comes from and what personal life experiences or history has influenced their writing. Auckland-based author Josie Shapiro is one to trust and her tale of fiction comes from her own dark battles in her chosen sport. Her voice speaks clearly throughout the fictitious chapters and though, I am not sporty myself, I appreciated the metaphors of running a marathon – of life.
At five-foot in stature, Mickey Bloom should not be an athlete – but at seven years old, Mickey discovers that she can run and when all the endorphins kick in, her feet lift and she feels like she’s flying, that’s all she needs. Full of self-doubt and locked in a battle with dyslexia that isolates her, Mickey turns to running – long distances that satisfies her and gives her a sense of power and control.
Long-distance running freed her from feeling over-looked, undermined and lost – she found a drivenness in her sport. A sport that threw many hurdles at her and that drew you towards her as a character. But it was a sport that broke her too and all the metaphors from ‘life is a marathon not a sprint’ comes to mind.
Set in West Coast Taranaki and Auckland, this debut novel from Josie Shapiro puts sharp focus on the deep commitments from young sportswomen and the snares that can entrap them. The early starts, the drive to push their bodies to limits and beyond – there’s a fine line between skill, dedication and the tip into a darker side. This is an important book that would especially appeal to young adults but not exclusive to them. Dealing with the dangerous obsession of sport, poor management and the different challenges for women in sport, author Josie shares an urgent message.
When all your hopes and all that you have shaped yourself to be, are on shifting ground or disintegrate what do you build your life on? Where do you start to rebuild.
In a culture that screams ‘reach your highs’ and ‘go big or go home’ mantras, author Josie brings a sporting narrative steeped in reality, but also Mickey’s character rebuilds with tenacity to find a calm new strength.
Purchase Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts, by Josie Shapiro here on
ISBN 9781991006448
