There are memoirs that you read because you are impressed with the author’s accomplishments. There are memoirs you read because you want to know what it’s like to live another, different life. And there are memoirs that you read because it becomes clear as you make your way through the writer's life, chapter by chapter, that this book was written by someone from whom you can learn something--a way of life or an outlook that is unusual, wonderful, and worth experiencing.
Big Tiny manages to be all three types of memoirs in one. I picked it up because it was the story of a woman who built her own tiny house (84 square feet!) and moved into it. Building and living in tiny homes is a trend for people interested in sustainable living and those in the DIY movement (or for people struggling with housing issues in Los Angeles). But I kept reading it because Dee Williams managed to build not only a house, but a life that fit hers exactly. She dealt with illness, uncertainty and loss, but never lost her enthusiasm or sense of adventure. I don’t know that I could, or would ever, build a tiny house of my own, even assembling IKEA furniture can ruin my day. But I would like to be, like Dee Williams, a person who could embrace the challenge of a project like this.