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The Beauty and the Hell of It & Other Stories
A woman comes face to face with her rapist at his engagement party. A teen reluctantly celebrating the first Christmas after her mother’s death gets caught cutting her wrists by a stranger. A student hands in a box of Kraft Dinner as her final assignment, and a bipolar art teacher grieves her divorce by online shopping. Don’t Look Back is a collection of stories about women (and one man) who quietly resist and the resulting moments of transition, acceptance, and vindication. Whether they wrestle with grief, growth, trauma, or all three, these characters don’t give in to expectations about who or how they should be. These stories will appeal to readers who enjoyed the pivotal moments of ordinary life in Sophie Stocking’s Walking Leonard and Other Stories and those who want a slice of contemporary womanhood served up with dark humour as offered in Meghan Bell’s Erase and Rewind.
250 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 2, 2026
Lynda Williams’ The Beauty and the Hell of It & Other Stories is one of those collections that pulls you in quietly, then refuses to let go. The stories begin in familiar places: family gatherings, classrooms, relationships that feel slightly off, moments that seem small until they are not. Williams has a sharp eye for the instant when something shifts, and she places her characters right there, allowing their thoughts, choices, and contradictions to unfold with honesty and care. The writing is easy to settle into, fast paced without feeling rushed, which makes this an especially absorbing book review experience.
What stands out most is how real these characters feel. They are flawed, funny, and often carrying more than they let on. Williams writes women who resist expectations in subtle but meaningful ways, sometimes through humor, sometimes through silence, sometimes by simply refusing to pretend everything is fine. A dark sense of humor runs through the collection, appearing at moments when it feels both unexpected and deeply human. It adds balance, reflecting how people often cope when life feels heavy, without ever diminishing the emotional weight of the stories.
As a whole, The Beauty and the Hell of It & Other Stories is a strong Canadian read that lingers long after the final page. The themes of grief, growth, and resilience are handled with nuance, and the collection feels cohesive without becoming repetitive. This book review comes with an easy recommendation for readers who enjoy short stories rooted in everyday life, rich with insight, and grounded in emotional truth. Williams delivers a collection that feels lived-in, thoughtful, and deeply relatable, the kind of book that stays with you in quiet, meaningful ways.
Five out of five stars.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
What stands out most is how real these characters feel. They are flawed, funny, and often carrying more than they let on. Williams writes women who resist expectations in subtle but meaningful ways, sometimes through humor, sometimes through silence, sometimes by simply refusing to pretend everything is fine. A dark sense of humor runs through the collection, appearing at moments when it feels both unexpected and deeply human. It adds balance, reflecting how people often cope when life feels heavy, without ever diminishing the emotional weight of the stories.
As a whole, The Beauty and the Hell of It & Other Stories is a strong Canadian read that lingers long after the final page. The themes of grief, growth, and resilience are handled with nuance, and the collection feels cohesive without becoming repetitive. This book review comes with an easy recommendation for readers who enjoy short stories rooted in everyday life, rich with insight, and grounded in emotional truth. Williams delivers a collection that feels lived-in, thoughtful, and deeply relatable, the kind of book that stays with you in quiet, meaningful ways.
Five out of five stars.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2025
Lynda Williams’ The Beauty and the Hell of It is a fierce and unforgettable collection of short stories that delve deep into the unfiltered lives of women navigating grief, motherhood, betrayal, addiction, and identity. With prose that is razor-sharp and emotionally raw, Williams invites readers to sit with the messiness of real life — and dares them not to look away.
These are not stories of idealized womanhood. Instead, Williams offers deeply human characters: women who curse, falter, ache, survive, and sometimes self-destruct. In stories like “Matches” and “Jesus and Jockeys,” we meet protagonists grieving not only the dead, but also the illusions of their past — marriages gone sour, family roles that suffocate, and childhoods that never quite let go. Every narrative is delivered with blunt emotional honesty and laced with biting humor, making even the darkest themes pulse with life.
Williams’ greatest gift is her dialogue — crisp, authentic, and brutally revealing. Her characters often say what we dare not admit aloud, exposing truths about womanhood, domesticity, and trauma with stunning clarity. Whether dealing with the aftershocks of a stillbirth or the weight of a mother’s unspoken disappointments, these stories ripple with empathy and emotional complexity.
The title story, “The Beauty and the Hell of It,” encapsulates the collection’s power: a stunning meditation on how love and loss intertwine, how joy and pain are never cleanly separated, and how survival often requires embracing both. There is no tidy resolution in these pages — only small victories, hard-won clarity, and moments of grace carved from chaos.
Fans of Lorrie Moore, Mary Gaitskill, and Alice Munro will find a kindred spirit in Williams. Her voice is original and brave, her insights piercing. With themes that range from the ordinary to the existential, this collection doesn’t just reflect life — it challenges our perceptions of what it means to live, love, and lose.
The Beauty and the Hell of It is a triumph of contemporary short fiction — intimate, unsettling, and profoundly resonant.
These are not stories of idealized womanhood. Instead, Williams offers deeply human characters: women who curse, falter, ache, survive, and sometimes self-destruct. In stories like “Matches” and “Jesus and Jockeys,” we meet protagonists grieving not only the dead, but also the illusions of their past — marriages gone sour, family roles that suffocate, and childhoods that never quite let go. Every narrative is delivered with blunt emotional honesty and laced with biting humor, making even the darkest themes pulse with life.
Williams’ greatest gift is her dialogue — crisp, authentic, and brutally revealing. Her characters often say what we dare not admit aloud, exposing truths about womanhood, domesticity, and trauma with stunning clarity. Whether dealing with the aftershocks of a stillbirth or the weight of a mother’s unspoken disappointments, these stories ripple with empathy and emotional complexity.
The title story, “The Beauty and the Hell of It,” encapsulates the collection’s power: a stunning meditation on how love and loss intertwine, how joy and pain are never cleanly separated, and how survival often requires embracing both. There is no tidy resolution in these pages — only small victories, hard-won clarity, and moments of grace carved from chaos.
Fans of Lorrie Moore, Mary Gaitskill, and Alice Munro will find a kindred spirit in Williams. Her voice is original and brave, her insights piercing. With themes that range from the ordinary to the existential, this collection doesn’t just reflect life — it challenges our perceptions of what it means to live, love, and lose.
The Beauty and the Hell of It is a triumph of contemporary short fiction — intimate, unsettling, and profoundly resonant.
May 20, 2025
The Beauty and the Hell of It is a brilliant, gutsy collection that radiates equal parts grit and grace. Lynda Williams doesn’t write characters so much as she sculpts them from bone and lived experience, flawed, funny, and deeply human. These stories are not just slices of life, they’re hard-won reckonings, shot through with tenderness and blistering wit. Her prose is sharp, her humour cutting, and her emotional intelligence undeniable.
From sugar bushes and closet-like bedrooms, with crumbling family legacies layered in drawers of Jockeys and mulligan stew. Williams balances the beautiful and the hellish with expert ease. These characters aren't saints or victims, they're complicated, wise, messy, and raw. And that’s what makes them unforgettable.
From sugar bushes and closet-like bedrooms, with crumbling family legacies layered in drawers of Jockeys and mulligan stew. Williams balances the beautiful and the hellish with expert ease. These characters aren't saints or victims, they're complicated, wise, messy, and raw. And that’s what makes them unforgettable.
December 30, 2025
What an incredible series of deep-cutting, thoughtful vignettes featuring the complex constitutions of people. These stories were funny, sad, chilling, and scratches that part of my psyche that wants to look everybody in the eye and ask about their deepest insecurities or wildest benders. All the stories play with the brittle candy coating that make up our social facade, to dig at the messy, brittle ways we're all built.
marvelous read, and a joy to read as a Canadian. the Canadian callouts made me smile. so often Canadian culture is drowned out by the louder American one, this book effortlessly highlights Canadian culture and Canadian landscape as a backdrop to PEOPLE, and casually weaves in the way people are shaped by it all. I'll be recommending it to everyone! what a wonderful way to cap off my yearly booklist.
marvelous read, and a joy to read as a Canadian. the Canadian callouts made me smile. so often Canadian culture is drowned out by the louder American one, this book effortlessly highlights Canadian culture and Canadian landscape as a backdrop to PEOPLE, and casually weaves in the way people are shaped by it all. I'll be recommending it to everyone! what a wonderful way to cap off my yearly booklist.
July 25, 2025
"The Beauty and the Hell of It & Other Stories" by Lynda Williams is a delightful and engaging collection of short stories laced with humor and emotional depth.
In “The Least Interesting Thing,” we follow a woman visiting her sister Lindsay to celebrate her niece Adele’s birthday. Beneath the surface of family gathering lies the protagonist’s struggle—she’s entangled with a married man who gives her a fleeting sense of care and belonging. The narrator is messing up in all the departments of her life. The story subtly reveals more about Lindsay too, making you want to read on and discover her journey.
“The Beauty and the Hell of It” is another compelling tale. The narrator’s mother begins a relationship with Bruce, whom the narrator immediately finds likable. Bruce has a stepson, Liam, from a previous relationship. When Liam and another of Bruce’s sons move in, the narrator finds unexpected comfort in Liam’s presence, which brings a quiet shift in her life. How will she feel to see him at her mother's funeral?
The stories in this collection are quietly powerful and thought-provoking. They linger with you, prompting reflection long after you’ve finished reading. The language is accessible, making it an easy yet meaningful read. I found myself connecting deeply with the characters, and I know these stories will stay with me. If you enjoy short story collections having humor, this book is worth picking up.
In “The Least Interesting Thing,” we follow a woman visiting her sister Lindsay to celebrate her niece Adele’s birthday. Beneath the surface of family gathering lies the protagonist’s struggle—she’s entangled with a married man who gives her a fleeting sense of care and belonging. The narrator is messing up in all the departments of her life. The story subtly reveals more about Lindsay too, making you want to read on and discover her journey.
“The Beauty and the Hell of It” is another compelling tale. The narrator’s mother begins a relationship with Bruce, whom the narrator immediately finds likable. Bruce has a stepson, Liam, from a previous relationship. When Liam and another of Bruce’s sons move in, the narrator finds unexpected comfort in Liam’s presence, which brings a quiet shift in her life. How will she feel to see him at her mother's funeral?
The stories in this collection are quietly powerful and thought-provoking. They linger with you, prompting reflection long after you’ve finished reading. The language is accessible, making it an easy yet meaningful read. I found myself connecting deeply with the characters, and I know these stories will stay with me. If you enjoy short story collections having humor, this book is worth picking up.
October 31, 2025
I slow walked this book. Many of the stories linger in your mind and I couldn’t always dive into the next one. I wanted to savour it.
I love the way the characters are written. Some of them remind me of my friends. The way they show up for and interact with each other. The sarcasm, wit, dark humour and agony hits in a way that I found myself physically and emotionally reacting to it.
For those of us who have lived messy, unscripted, traumatic, outside the world’s view of normal lives, well this book is for us friends. It’s real emotions written for real people.
I love the way the characters are written. Some of them remind me of my friends. The way they show up for and interact with each other. The sarcasm, wit, dark humour and agony hits in a way that I found myself physically and emotionally reacting to it.
For those of us who have lived messy, unscripted, traumatic, outside the world’s view of normal lives, well this book is for us friends. It’s real emotions written for real people.
November 6, 2025
What a gorgeous collection! I first read Williams’ work in a lit mag and magazine and fell in love with her writing. There’s so much to love in this collection: beautiful writing, heartfelt stories, compelling characters, themes that resonant. This is a collection I’ll read more than once! Highly recommend.
May 29, 2025
The Review
This was such a compelling and engaging collection of short stories. The author perfectly captured the trials and injustices of life that so many women and people in general have to face on any given day. The balance the author found in bringing these difficult events and conversations to light in the dialogue and stories themselves, with the humor and wit of the characters' conversations and personal character growth, was remarkable to see come to life on the page.
Throughout these painful and relatable experiences, the author showcased a unique voice in the writing style of each story that spoke to the reader on a deeper level. The featured stories played on themes of abuse, loss, grief, and so much more, and each tale held an emotional and introspective look into how these events affect the mind. At the same time, the rest of the world refuses to slow down with those afflicted by these triggering events.
The Verdict
Profound, thoughtfully written, and engaging, author Lynda Williams’ “The Beauty and the Hell of It” is a must-read collection of short stories. The heart and realism featured in these stories will spark a relatability within many readers, and the emotional depth of each character’s struggles and the fantastic pacing of each tale will keep readers invested in every story being told.
This was such a compelling and engaging collection of short stories. The author perfectly captured the trials and injustices of life that so many women and people in general have to face on any given day. The balance the author found in bringing these difficult events and conversations to light in the dialogue and stories themselves, with the humor and wit of the characters' conversations and personal character growth, was remarkable to see come to life on the page.
Throughout these painful and relatable experiences, the author showcased a unique voice in the writing style of each story that spoke to the reader on a deeper level. The featured stories played on themes of abuse, loss, grief, and so much more, and each tale held an emotional and introspective look into how these events affect the mind. At the same time, the rest of the world refuses to slow down with those afflicted by these triggering events.
The Verdict
Profound, thoughtfully written, and engaging, author Lynda Williams’ “The Beauty and the Hell of It” is a must-read collection of short stories. The heart and realism featured in these stories will spark a relatability within many readers, and the emotional depth of each character’s struggles and the fantastic pacing of each tale will keep readers invested in every story being told.
September 30, 2025
I've just finished this collection of short stories, and I must say, it was an interesting mix of emotions. They were all good, but the second story pulled me right in. It started off hilariously perfect with something as simple as greeting cards, which set such a relatable, lighthearted tone before diving deeper. That balance really stood out throughout the rest of the book.
What I appreciated most was the way the author reflects on life's troubles without ever being overly dramatic or obnoxious. It felt real. The pain in the stories practically drips off the pages. It’s raw and deeply human.
One of my favourite pieces was the story about traditions. The dialogue between the siblings was so spot-on, it actually made me laugh out loud because it reminded me of the kind of back-and-forth I’ve had with my own family.
Overall, this collection is an amazing way to share the struggles of mental illness, life’s weight, and the small sparks of humour and connection that make it all bearable. It’s heartfelt, authentic, and definitely worth picking up if you like stories that stay with you.
What I appreciated most was the way the author reflects on life's troubles without ever being overly dramatic or obnoxious. It felt real. The pain in the stories practically drips off the pages. It’s raw and deeply human.
One of my favourite pieces was the story about traditions. The dialogue between the siblings was so spot-on, it actually made me laugh out loud because it reminded me of the kind of back-and-forth I’ve had with my own family.
Overall, this collection is an amazing way to share the struggles of mental illness, life’s weight, and the small sparks of humour and connection that make it all bearable. It’s heartfelt, authentic, and definitely worth picking up if you like stories that stay with you.
November 30, 2025
The Beauty and the Hell of It & Other Stories by Lynda Williams is full of the heartbreaking, fuck it, and troubled moments that everyday people suffer from in regular life. I thoroughly enjoyed each of these stories and found them engaging. It's like the Sweet Home Alabama movie in some ways where all the past little dirty secrets are exposed, replayed, and thought of while trying to gain a foot hold or move forward from such tragedies. Understanding and empathy can be felt for each of the main characters. The tales are so well-written it was like a secret window into each person's life but at the same it wasn't. Words came to life. Characters sprung off the pages and their dreary traumas made this book pop. The way every situation was different and handled differently was unique too. Overall, I would highly recommend all to read Lynda William's book collection, The Beauty and the Hell of It & Other Stories!
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
September 2, 2025
The Beauty and the Hell of It is set in the Eastern Townships of Quebec and other parts of Canada. Lynda Williams portrays muddled, saucy women who struggle with impending adulthood, difficult men, and dysfunctional families. There are weddings, a funeral, break-ups, and engagements, but minimal comfort or contentment in these sharp, beautifully written and insightful stories. https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-beaut...
November 22, 2025
Definitely short, these stories are just… so ordinary. She absolutely nails the essence of what she’s wanting to say in each one.
Succinct. Focused. They make their point. They are like little windows into the everyday life of… anyone. It could be you, or it could be me… anyone. They make you feel like you're not alone in the world.
Succinct. Focused. They make their point. They are like little windows into the everyday life of… anyone. It could be you, or it could be me… anyone. They make you feel like you're not alone in the world.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews