Praise for How to Hold a Cockroach
“In this lovely, spiraling meditation of a fable, Matthew Maxwell gently guides the reader’s mind toward its most peaceful, free, and compassionate state. As accessible to any reader from nine to ninety-nine, How to Hold a Cockroach is a precious guide to a happier, more meaningful and joyful life.”
— Martha Beck, New York Times bestselling author of Beyond Anxiety
“Matthew Maxwell has a rare ability to translate complex ideas about the human experience into stories that are both deeply accessible and profoundly thought-provoking. His work invites readers into meaningful self-reflection with warmth, curiosity, and compassion. How to Hold a Cockroach will resonate with anyone seeking greater clarity, connection, and personal growth.
— Dr. Mariel Buqué, Ph.D., psychologist and bestselling author of Break the Cycle
“This book touched my heart the way few books have. I found myself laughing out loud, smiling to myself, and thinking, ‘Brilliant!’ again and again as I turned the page. The illustrations are magical—a vision come to life—and the story is a beautiful reminder that we are wildly, unabashedly, monumentally free to experience the world around us (and within us) any way we like—by simply choosing how we hold it. How to Hold a Cockroach is an invitation to look deeper at how we hold everything in our lives—our relationships, our emotions, our past, our future—and to notice that how we hold each thing is a choice; a choice that either empowers us or disempowers us, depending upon what we do with it. After reading this book, I choose to hold all of my life as dear, sacred, precious, and adored. There is not one thing I would wish away. I now see all of it as an invitation to be even freer, to love even deeper, and to be even more at peace.”
— Hope Koppelman, creative director at TUT.com and author of The Gifts of Writing
“How to Hold a Cockroach is a magical and soul-shaking read! It is profound and awakening in its simplicity and depth. I have already gifted this book to a dozen people who have also been deeply impacted. Thank you, Matt, for illuminating how to shift the pain of the human journey into growth and beauty.”
— Shana James, M.A., host of the Man Alive podcast, and author of Honest Sex and Power and Pleasure
“Although I’m still unable to hold a cockroach, this book has some wonderful things to teach all of us about the beliefs that hold us back in different areas of our lives, and the choices we all make to be happy. This book is a real gem, with some truly beautiful illustrations, and you’re likely to get something new out of it each time you read it. Highly recommend!”
— Marc Fienberg, author of the Dad’s Great Advice book series
“I was moved to tears and a renewed sense of self-forgiveness and self-love in reading How to Hold a Cockroach. In Maxwell’s first book, he simultaneously reaches down to lovingly see and hold the depths of his readers’ pain and hurt and fills them with newfound hope and wonder. The book instills the life-changing gift of choice into the hands and hearts of the reader and at once fills them with a transformation that can change in an instant the trajectory of their entire lives. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!”
— Catherine A. Wood, MCC, author of Belonging: Overcome Your Inner Critic and Reclaim Your Joy
“A wide-eyed allegory…. Maxwell effectively uses these vignettes to reflect on self-criticism, love, overcoming one’s past, and embracing unknowns. Focusing on philosophical concepts from a childlike perspective, this sunny rumination on self-worth will primarily appeal to new adult readers.”
— Publishers Weekly
“A thoughtful illustrated work about a boy gaining wisdom about the world around him… The simple, overarching message of these stories and images is one of empathy and self-examination, and their execution in these pages will make it appealing to both adults and younger readers.”
— Kirkus Reviews
