Little Islands of Hope: The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
About the Author
Matt Haig was born in 1975 in Sheffield and grew up in Newark, Nottinghamshire.
He studied at Hull University and Leeds University and currently lives in York. After running his own internet marketing company and working for a nightclub in Spain, he became a full-time writer. He writes for various national newspapers, including The Guardian and The Independent. His novels for adults are bestsellers.
His book, The Comfort Book, was a number one bestseller, staying in the British top ten for 46 weeks.
About the Book
The Comfort Book is a collection of little islands of hope, a gathering of consolations and stories that give us new ways of seeing ourselves and the world.
Matt Haig’s mix of philosophy, memoir, and self-reflection builds on the wisdom of philosophers and survivors through the ages, from Marcus Aurelius to Nellie Bly, from Emily Dickinson to James Baldwin.
This is the book to pick up when you need the wisdom of a friend or the comfort of a hug, or just want to celebrate the messy miracle of being alive. The author also shares his journey of battling depression and suicidal thoughts, how he kept hope alive and lived one day at a time. This book reminds us that no matter what, this too shall pass’ and life will go on.
The Comfort Book explores what depression feels like and its effects on our mind and body, and how we can overcome it by taking small, but significant steps in that direction, starting with finding hope, being more present in the moment, and acknowledging that we’re enough.
The author empathizes profoundly with his readers and delivers advice that once implemented, can soothe the ill heart, the anxious mind, or the misery of someone who feels broken inside.
In the toughest moments of life, people lose the sense of clarity and feel as if there’s no way they’ll be happy again. Finding the light at the end of the tunnel is difficult. However, if you trust that there is a way out of your situation, although you don’t know it yet. The key is to keep pushing forward, one step at a time.
Oftentimes, people end up losing their will to live, and that is when they hit rock bottom. Matt Haig knows this feeling way too well from the times when he was battling depression. In fact, he once hit a point so low in his life that he was ready to jump off a cliff. What stopped him and allowed him to keep going is what you’ll learn in Matt Haig‘s The Comfort Book.
Here are our three favorite lessons from the book:
- Don’t trust your brain completely when you feel depressed.
- When you feel low, find hope in someone else.
- Saying no can be healthy, finding friends is a must, and acknowledging your pain is necessary to get over it.
