The essays within Tiny Beautiful Things were published in the online literary magazine The Rumpus from 2010 to 2012. Strayed wrote each of the essays anonymously as "Sugar" in response to questions from her readers about things like relationships, feelings of self-doubt, dealing with family, and contending with other important issues. Strayed begins her book, which doesn't have a narrative, by telling readers about how she came to write her advice columns and how economic conditions influenced her writing.
Each letter covers a different facet of human suffering and existential angst. Some of Strayed's letters address readers who need a little encouragement to do—or not to do—something. Other letters deal with themes of loss (especially the loss of people close to you), spousal abuse, the difference between love and lust, confusion, and existential dread and despair.
When she advises her readers, Strayed brings in examples from her own life. She talks about her experiences as a mother and some of the difficult things she faced during her life, like her mother's sudden death and her addiction to Heroin. Through it, all, Strayed presents her advice in a straightforward and incredibly honest way. She isn't afraid to bare her soul to her readers so that they get the best advice they could.
As "Sugar," Strayed can deliver advice in a way she otherwise would not have been able to had she attached her name to her advice. Through her guidance, Strayed argues that suffering is universal and is part of the human condition. Humans shouldn't run from that suffering. Instead, Strayed argues that they should dive headfirst into their suffering so they can grow as human beings. Tiny Beautiful Things is a book about humans. It is a deeply reverential book about humans generally.
