The Case for Letting Yourself Have a Good Cry

Each month, the SELF Well-Read Book Club highlights a timely, delightful, and crucial book on a subject that helps readers live better lives. So far, we’ve covered everything from the politics of running to the state of modern motherhood.

Welcome to the colorful comic world of Pepita Sandwich, where it’s always cool to cry. We don’t talk about our tears enough—at least according to the illustrator behind our May SELF Well-Read Book Club pick. But The Art of Crying shows just how much catharsis that conversation can offer.

In her book, Sandwich tackles tears from every angle, examining the value of a good cry from scientific, historical, and cultural standpoints. That description might make it sound like a dense read, but the book is actually (delightfully) the opposite: The playful, nostalgic, and comforting illustrations bring her findings and perspective to life in an incredibly engaging way. The below excerpt from The Art of Crying unpacks how gender roles affect our attitudes toward shedding tears. In the span of a few pages (and some touching graphics), Sandwich covers feminist movements, hormone levels, and her own first period, all building to the same important takeaway: Everybody cries, because we’re supposed to.

Pepita Sandwich

Pepita Sandwich