It's Okay to Laugh: (Crying Is Cool Too)
It's Okay to Laugh: (Crying Is Cool Too) book cover

It's Okay to Laugh: (Crying Is Cool Too)

Hardcover – May 24, 2016

Price
$20.69
Format
Hardcover
Pages
288
Publisher
Dey Street Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0062419378
Dimensions
6 x 0.97 x 9 inches
Weight
1 pounds

Description

“This story will compel you to both laugh and cry, just as the title promises. May we all bring Nora’s honesty, passion and hope to our lives.” — Lena Dunham “An emotional rollercoaster of the highest order... It’s Okay to Laugh is that rare gem of a read, equal parts heartwarming and hysterical, that’ll make you laugh out loud, only to leave you tearing up a few pages later. I can’t recommend it highly enough.” — Lincoln Thompson, BuzzFeed “Deeply moving yet refreshingly funny” — PopSugar “This gorgeous and insightful memoir holds up the lens to mortality and leaves us with a reminder to make every moment count and value what is truly precious: time-and laughter.” — Refinery29 “ It’s Okay to Laugh is...an unapologetic tale of heartbreak and loss that is devoid of platitudes. I found myself laughing through my tears, but that’s the real experience of profound morning, and she nails it.” — Rebecca Soffer, writer, Modern Loss co-founder “Nora is Anne Lamott for the emoji generation...one of the best books you’ll read this year.” — MSP Magazine “A natural storyteller, Nora’s words will make you laugh and cry all in the same paragraph. She transforms what would be a heart-breaking memoir into a life-affirming anthem.” — David Gallaher, author of The Only Living Boy Series “It is funny, and it is sad, and it is real, and if you’ve ever been through anything in your life…you are going to love this book.” — Jennifer Weiner, New York Times Bestselling author of Who Do You Love comedy = tragedy + time/rosé Twenty-seven-year-old Nora McInerny Purmort bounced from boyfriend to dopey “boyfriend” until she met Aaron—a charismatic art director and comic-book nerd who once made Nora laugh so hard she pulled a muscle. When Aaron was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, they refused to let it limit their love. They got engaged on Aaron’s hospital bed and had a baby boy while he was on chemo. In the period that followed, Nora and Aaron packed fifty years of marriage into the three they got, spending their time on what really matters: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, each other, and Beyoncé. A few months later, Aaron died in Nora’s arms. The obituary they wrote during Aaron’s hospice care revealing his true identity as Spider-Man touched the nation. With It’s Okay to Laugh , Nora puts a young, fresh twist on the subjects of mortality and resilience. What does it actually mean to live your “one wild and precious life” to the fullest? How can a joyful marriage contain more sickness than health? How do you keep going when life kicks you in the junk? In this deeply felt and deeply funny memoir, Nora gives her readers a true gift—permission to struggle, permission to laugh, permission to tell the truth and know that everything will be okay. It’s Okay to Laugh is a love letter to life, in all its messy glory; it reads like a conversation with a close friend, and leaves a trail of glitter in its wake. This book is for people who have been through some shit This is for people who aren’t sure if they’re saying or doing the right thing (you’re not, but nobody is). This is for people who had their life turned upside down and just learned to live that way. For people who have laughed at a funeral or cried in a grocery store. This is for everyone who wondered what exactly they’re supposed to be doing with their one wild and precious life. I don’t actually have the answer, but if you find out, will you text me? Nora McInerny Purmortxa0 was voted Most Humorous by the Annunciation Catholic School Class of 1998. It was mostly downhill after that, but she did get to spend three glorious years married to Aaron Joseph Purmort (aka Spider-Man). Her work has appeared on TIME, Cosmopolitan.com, Elle.com, the Huffington Post , BuzzFeed,xa0Slate, and in the Star Tribune. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her son, Ralph. They really like it there. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • NATIONAL BESTSELLER
  • “Thank you for the perfect blend of nostalgia-drenched humor, wit, and heartbreak, Nora.” — Mandy Moore
  • comedy = tragedy + time/rosé
  • Twenty-seven-year-old Nora McInerny Purmort bounced from boyfriend to dopey “boyfriend” until she met Aaron—a charismatic art director and comic-book nerd who once made Nora laugh so hard she pulled a muscle. When Aaron was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, they refused to let it limit their love. They got engaged on Aaron’s hospital bed and had a baby boy while he was on chemo. In the period that followed, Nora and Aaron packed fifty years of marriage into the three they got, spending their time on what really matters: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, each other, and Beyoncé. A few months later, Aaron died in Nora’s arms. The obituary they wrote during Aaron’s hospice care revealing his true identity as Spider-Man touched the nation. With
  • It’s Okay to Laugh
  • , Nora puts a young, fresh twist on the subjects of mortality and resilience. What does it actually mean to live your “one wild and precious life” to the fullest? How can a joyful marriage contain more sickness than health? How do you keep going when life kicks you in the junk? In this deeply felt and deeply funny memoir, Nora gives her readers a true gift—permission to struggle, permission to laugh, permission to tell the truth and know that everything will be okay.
  • It’s Okay to Laugh
  • is a love letter to life, in all its messy glory; it reads like a conversation with a close friend, and leaves a trail of glitter in its wake.
  • This book is for people who have been through some shit.
  • This is for people who aren’t sure if they’re saying or doing the right thing (you’re not, but nobody is). This is for people who had their life turned upside down and just learned to live that way. For people who have laughed at a funeral or cried in a grocery store. This is for everyone who wondered what exactly they’re supposed to be doing with their one wild and precious life. I don’t actually have the answer, but if you find out, will you text me?

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(1.1K)
★★★★
25%
(477)
★★★
15%
(286)
★★
7%
(133)
-7%
(-134)

Most Helpful Reviews

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This book is like coming up for air after drowning for days

This book is like coming up for air after drowning for days. Nora hit every emotion that I've felt since losing my brother. Her writing gives you permission to feel the whole spectrum of emotions that ride alongside Grief. I laughed and then cried then started laugh crying. This book is a must read for anyone that's gone through anything.
10 people found this helpful
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like many, i have been a big follower and ...

like many, i have been a big follower and fan of nora's blog and story, so this release was highly anticipated for me. i adored the way nora's writing was able to make me feel like we were best friends sitting on a couch together sharing a bottle of wine. it's not chronological, which i liked because it added to that conversational feel and because ultimately this isn't a story with a beginning and an end. it's a story about cherishing all the moments of your "one wild and precious" life. i found myself both laughing hysterically and crying all my mascara off, just as i expected to!
8 people found this helpful
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Hilariously Tragic

If you read one memoir, I highly recommend you read It's Okay to Laugh by Nora McInerny Purmont.
Nora has a delightful and entertaining writing style. People have tragic events all through life.
Nora and Aaron chose not to dwell on the frightening diagnosis of brain cancer. They made the decision to marry and have a child.
Nora honors Aaron and their marriage. She shares parts of her life and Aaron's that brought them together.
The strength of their relationship gave them many happy memories.
Read and enjoy the book and remember "it Is Okay to Laugh And Crying is okay too.
6 people found this helpful
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Read this book next. For real.

You know when someone tells you something awful happened when you ask 'How are you?' or 'What's new?' and you don't know what to say? Nora teaches all of us what to say and is going to help all of us lucky enough to read her book to be better humans, all while laughing at ourselves and each other.
5 people found this helpful
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An essential read

Nora's voice is raw, real, and imbued with compassion, kindness, and a wicked sense of humor. The result is a crazy-honest book that is an up-close, unflinching look at love and grief and what remains after surviving an incredible amount of loss.

You will fall in love with Aaron with her. You will grieve with her. You will laugh with her. You will cringe with her. Prepare to sob and snort-laugh simultaneously, and to set aside whatever tasks you have at hand (like, in my case, parenting) so that you can read it straight through.

This book is essential reading.
3 people found this helpful
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Not what I expected but still a good read

Nora is without a doubt a very talented writer but the book wasn't what I expected. I can't even begin to imagine the gut wrenching sadness she must have gone through and that emotion seemed to be missing from the book although there was plenty of humor and sarcasm. Also, the book is not in chronological order making it hard to follow at times.
2 people found this helpful
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I cried and laughed!

I sped through the book and am sad it is over! I followed Nora's blog and loved hearing more of her insight and commentary. The book reminded me to appreciate the things I have and go after the things I want. Her losses and joys left me laughing and crying... So it's not just a clever title. Loved it.
2 people found this helpful
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Recommended

This book is a series of little short "blurps" about various subjects relating to Nora's version of life both before and after the death of her husband. I understand that she also writes a blog on the internet that is good. I plan to look into that since I do enjoy her writing.
She has experienced her share of loss so far in life so she is not short on knowing what suffering is about.
After finally meeting her "soulmate" Aaron, she of course has to deal with losing him to brain cancer. Wasn't that special?
I have enjoyed reading her book so far. The way it is written you do not have to sit down and read it completely. It can be picked up from time to time to enjoy one of the vignettes.
I do recommend this for a good read and some interesting insight.
2 people found this helpful
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Love it!!!!!

Love this book! Love everything Nora does!
1 people found this helpful
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Worth it

This book was so well written and as a fan of Nora already, I appreciated reading her words on loss and grief as well as her great humor. I laughed out loud and cried with this read.
1 people found this helpful