That, of course, is the nature of depression, which Yoli also knows, even if she can't truly grasp how her sister feels. Yoli resents that Elf seems to have everything - wealth, success, adoring fans, a loving husband - and yet appreciates none of it. Pill and Gadon have fantastic chemistry as the sisters who've bonded over so many tragic events, but All My Puny Sorrows remains squarely focused on Yoli, whose own suffering is constantly overshadowed by her sister's. Yoli is the author of a series of young adult cowgirl novels and is currently working on a serious novel about sisters.All My Puny. She tries to convince Yoli to take her to an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland, and she won't listen to any arguments, either logical or emotional, for why she should take her medication and focus on staying alive. McGowan balances those tones throughout All My Puny Sorrows, although the solemnity eventually overtakes the humor as the family's situation gets worse.ĭespite her seeming good humor and defiant attitude - she scares off a Mennonite missionary by casually disrobing in front of him - Elf is still fixated on dying. When Yoli arrives, she jokes with Elf about her low-priority placement in Elf's suicide note, and the morbid humor is a refreshing counterpoint to the somber circumstances.

At first, this seems like just another bump in the road for Elf, who has a strong support system in her sister, mother, and husband and is getting the care she needs in the hospital. As painful as it is for Yoli to see her sister in such despair, it's also an easy distraction from the problems in her own life.

All my puny sorrows book summary