Two Women Walk Into a Bar is a lovely short story focusing on the author's relationship with her mother-in-law. Highly recommended for fans of Cheryl Strayed's writing or those seeking thoughtful works about the relationships between mothers (in law) and daughters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Given my absolute adoration of Cheryl Strayed and everything she does, I was so excited to receive an ARC of this short story, TWO WOMEN WALK INTO A BAR, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher, Amazon Original Stories.

This story is a quick read but it packs an emotional punch, which is no surprise as a Strayed fan. Her writing never ceases to captivate and delight! TWO WOMEN WALK INTO A BAR depicts Strayed's experience with her mother in law toward the end of her life. I found myself smiling, laughing, and crying throughout. A really enjoyable read, particularly for fans of Strayed's other work.

Very well written story! A fast poignant read with interesting topics.

Thank you NetGalley and Cheryl Strayed!

This was a quick and easy read and while readable, it was not exceptional by any means. I was hoping for something a little more insightful coming from Strayed as insight seems to be Strayed's MO, but what I got was nothing more than a perfectly mediocre story. I blame the format as short stories are not generally my forte, but this just left me wanting more so it wasn't awful. 3.5 stars

I did not request this book nor did I ever receive it. I'm sorry for the confusion but wanted to give that feedback. thank you

Made me reflect on my relationship with my mother in law. Very sweet memoir.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Two Women Walk In A Bar was very touching. It's a memoir about the author and her Mother In Law. After many years of a mediocre relationship, Cheryl learns about past and her upbringing. Very emotional.

This was a good insight into the complicated relationship between a daughter and mother in law. I don’t think I’d ever reread it but it gave me a lot of emotions during the short read

This was a great book! I very much enjoyed it and I look forward to reading the author’s next work! Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

Ever since WILD came out, I have been a fan of Cheryl Strayed. Wild was personal and heavy at times but an amazing story of rebuilding yourself after tragedy. This book is another memoir but a very short one. It's all about family and the secrets we keep.

Enjoyed this glimpse into a daughter/mother in law relationship. It was touching and makes you think about your own family ties. Absolutely adore Cheryl Strayed.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for this e-copy to read and review!

Two Women Walk Into a Bar is a wonderfully moving and well written personal essay about the complicated relationship between the author and her mother-in-law.

It's no secret that Cheryl Strayed is an exceptionally talented author. Her book Wild remains one of my favourite and most recommended memoirs to date.

I imagine it is no easy feat to craft a 30 page essay so powerful, heartbreaking and funny that it has the ability to leave a lasting and profound impact on the reader, but that is exactly what Strayed managed to do here. Her effortless writing and sensitive subject matter really got to me and I found myself tearing up near the end.

I highly recommend this relatable and touching quick read.

Cheryl Strayed is an amazing writer — there's no explanation needed.
In this novella, she takes on the relationship dynamic between her mother-in-law and herself...and it is peppered with humor and observation that is so unique to Strayed.
It goes on to show that you can find something meaningful in your relationships with people who are so very different from you...her writing validates and verbalises so many emotions that otherwise seem frivolous or indescribable.

A beautiful essay from Cheryl Strayed about first meeting her mother-in-law and then saying goodbye as she passed away. Cheryl has a way with words and describing emotions so succinctly that cuts through any fluff or awkwardness. She faces the truth head on and shares from a place of love. Highly recommend this latest writing from Cheryl Strayed.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This memoir is my first Cheryl Strayed and I was pleasantly surprised at how the prose flows. At no point did I feel as if I was being forced to read something unpleasant.

The book talks about two women - mother-in-law and daughter-in-law - and their fraught relationship over the years. Both of them continue to be civil to each other only for one reason - they love the same man.

As Cheryl's mother-in-law's health begins to spiral, she does her best to maintain her dignity while also managing to keep a distance from Cheryl. I liked that Cheryl wrote about it matter-of-factly. There were absolutely no judgments (I am more petty, I think).

It is a short book that manages to convey a lot.

4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC.

I was initially very intrigued to find out what this book was about as all I knew about it was that it had something to do with death, and although I had no expectations going in, I still somehow felt like they weren't met.

The book itself is well-written, but I didn't see anything especially unique about it, either. Perhaps it's due to my own lack of life experience involving a mother-in-law, as I have never been married, but I felt that perhaps I didn't fit into the target audience for this book.

I'm not completely put off from reading more of this author's works, though; if there's another title that interests me in the future, I may pick it up.

How Cheryl Strayed manages to write such an emotional gut punch with such limited words is inspiring. Her novel "Wild" is a favourite of mine, so knowing her history with her Mother made this all the more impactful. Writing grief is never easy, but Strayed makes it flow like poetry.

This was an interesting retrospection on impending death, grief and the whole harrowing process of what to expect when a loved one is sick. It is also a tribute to never knowing how a person might influence you. It's about the ability to let go of grudges and anger and provide forgiveness in difficult moments. It's absolutely moving.

I enjoyed this small memoir. I’ve been wanting to read Wild and when I saw this story was on Netgalley, I was excited to jump at the opportunity. For how short it is, the story packs and punch. I wasn’t surprised that I enjoyed it but I was surprised to the degree that I did. This was my intro to Cheryl Strayed books and I’m glad I took the jump!

This short story examines the relationship between Cheryl Strayed and her mother-in-law who has only weeks to live. She gains more insight into Joan's life which leads to a new understanding. This was an interesting and tender quick read. Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC!