Tiny: A Memoir About Love, Letting Go and a Very Small House

by Louise Southerden

Tiny is a memoir by award-winning travel writer Louise Southerden about her quest to create a simpler way of life by building her very own tiny house. In her successful career as a travel writer, Louise found herself staying in ever new and exotic locations, but while staying in a cabin in Norway, she had an epiphany about what she truly wanted for her life, ready to put down roots. With no prior building experience, Louise decided to build a tiny house with her partner, Max, which tested an already unstable relationship. Over the year and a half of planning and construction of her tiny house, Louise witnessed her new home coming together as her relationship was falling apart. Alongside her burgeoning construction skills, Louise learned about love, home, forgiveness and what we really need to be happy. This is an intensely personal story about searching for home and true love, two of life's most fundamental needs, risking everything, failing and finding ways to cope, and discovering that what we need isn't always what we thought we wanted.

Genres: Memoir

Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2024

Reviews

[Barbara Eisemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the YouTube channel, Living Big in a Tiny House, and saw the episode about Louise and her beautiful tiny home. When she said she had written a book about her journey of building the tiny and her relationship, I immediately bought the book. Louise is a gifted writer; it was a pleasure to read about her experience.

[Chris Aylott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Combines the story of building a very small house with the crumbling of a relationship. The building is joyful, and I loved following along as Southerden completes one of my regular fantasies of living in a small but comfortable space.

The narrative of the relationship is less satisfying. Based on what Southerden says -- which is consistent and plausible -- her boyfriend Max was a controlling shit. And that may be all there is to it. But I've been around enough toxic relationships to know that sometimes there are two sides to the story, and we get so little insight into what's going on in Max's head that I'm not sure that there wasn't another side.

In the broader sense it doesn't matter; Southerden's story is her story. But I wonder if she would be as sympathetic a protagonist if we knew everybody's story.

[Seana Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is some beautiful writing in this memoir, which I enjoyed enormously. The details of the build were not very riveting for me, but the circumstances of the travel writer caught in the pandemic and staying still was right up my street.

There's a real transformation in this story, and as a writer of the same age, I was really interested in many aspects of Louise's life. It was hard to relate to the relationship ups and downs, but I was certainly relieved when it was all over. It sounded like torture!

[Karen Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done Louise on a beautifully written book. There was so much that resonated with me in some of your reflections on travel and the places where you've felt at home - and also the realisation that you wanted a place to call home and feel settled. It has been inspiring to watch your journey (on Facebook) and now to read your memoir... I'm so glad you've come out the other end stronger and, most importantly, happy in your gorgeous tiny home.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book, a gentle and calm approach to a delighted story about the year Louise spent building her tiny house. Who knew that the technicalities of the build could be so fascinating? The parallel relationship story, while at face value quite tumultuous, is described with compassion. It’s a memoir that’s left me wondering if I perhaps want my own tiny house!

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple biography about a woman who builds a tiny house whilst in the middle of a potential break up with her partner. I enjoyed reading about the process behind small builds.

Read by Suzie and Kate

[Janine Bellew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous uplifting and honest life story. I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Louise writes beautifully and is an inspiration to women and what we can achieve, endure and emerge from stronger than ever.

[Essie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Congratulations Louise, you've written a wonderful memoir, built a fabulous 'tiny' and found yourself in the process. It was a privilege to travel along with you.

[Hannah Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the bits about travel and building her tiny house. Didn’t like reading about the toxic relationship that she put up with for a long time.

[Gay Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good for anyone thinking about building a tiny

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about the love of living simply in small spaces and also the building of the tiny. Reading about the relationship with Max was interesting too.

[Colleen Inskip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this memoir of building a tiny home. A nice surprise to have photos at the end of the book of the build.

[Kristy Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read with Louise taking you with her on her journey of building the tiny and the complexities of lockdown and relationships.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

A brutally honest memoir of love lost and building a tiny house.