A Little Life follows four college friends—Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcolm—whose lives intertwine over decades in New York City. At its core is Jude St. Francis, a brilliant but deeply traumatized man whose mysterious past slowly unfolds in heartbreaking detail. As the friends chase careers, love, and stability, Jude battles inner demons shaped by unbearable childhood suffering. The novel explores friendship at its most loyal, pain at its most devastating, and humanity at its most fragile.
Hanya Yanagihara crafts a powerful, immersive story that challenges emotional boundaries and lingers long after finishing. Raw, intimate, and profoundly moving, A Little Life is a modern masterpiece that examines how much a person can endure—and how love can both heal and break.