Two Women Walk Into a Bar

Cheryl Strayed, the bestselling author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things, finds humor and connection in a poignant short memoir about love, family secrets, and reconciliation.
Twenty-one years after Cheryl Strayed set off on the Pacific Crest Trail to heal from the death of her beloved mother, Cheryl’s mother-in-law, Joan, is given weeks to live. As she and her husband help see Joan through her final days, Cheryl reckons with their complicated relationship, determined to connect with a woman who both showed her love and (sometimes hilariously) held her at a distance. Cheryl reflects on their two decades together as she comes to a deeper understanding of the secrets and sorrows in Joan’s complicated past. At Joan’s bedside, it’s time to contemplate the challenges they’ve faced, to accept their differences, and to find some healing in goodbye.

Cheryl Strayed is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film; Tiny Beautiful Things, which was adapted into a Hulu television series and as a play; Brave Enough; and the novel Torch. Her books have sold more than five million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than forty languages. Her award-winning essays and short stories have been published in The Best American Essays, the New York Times, the Washington Post Magazine, Vogue, and elsewhere. Strayed writes the popular Substack newsletter “Dear Sugar” and has hosted two hit podcasts, Dear Sugars and Sugar Calling. She lives in Portland, Oregon.