From the Foreword review of Tough Little Beauties
Spanning more than thirty years, the essays here range from thoughts about Michigan, Mills’ home, and expand to her travel in India, giving the work both a local and a global flavor. In terms of subject matter, she addresses abortion, oil production, politics, feminism, spiritual life, and globalization. Although she treads wide terrain, her environmentalism provides the thread tying the collection together, and the way she unites self-awareness and reflection with a call to action for humanity is done with humor, intelligence, and – despite her initial description – plenty of optimism.
Mills’ tone at times can be strident, but her passion is undeniable. This is a call to war, not against a nation, but against our own habits and preferences. With candor and sharp writing, Mills follows the higher purpose of awakening those who slumber in indifference over Earth’s ills. Like any compelling activist, Mills attempts to ring the alarm before it’s too late, and urge each person to act on an individual level to do what they can, whenever possible, to not only help preserve nature, but also to be more aligned with it: hearing the trees, exploring solitude, and respecting the soil, air, and animals.
Jim Harrison commented “Stephanie Mills has always been on the cutting edge and Tough Little Beauties bears out her obvious position as one of our leading social critics.”
