Would you dare hug a stranger at the grocery check-out?
And if you continued to hug strangers for 365 days, how might it change you?
Melinda Lee did just that, spending a year hugging everyone she encountered—family, friends, strangers, no one was off limits. But in the quest to prove that everyone is worthy of love and belongingness, she found herself questioning her own.
Rebel Hugger tells the story of Melinda’s first hug journey, complete with the soul-rocking questions that followed, and a second journey that would take her cross-country to hug and stay with strangers.
Melinda explores life across America, makes unlikely friends, encounters stranger danger, and
challenges what we think we know about the human condition. You’ll come out the other side feeling love for your fellow humans and ready to embrace your own sense of self-worth.
Reading this memoir is like being wrapped in a comforting hug—one that empowers you to believe in yourself just a little bit more.
What Readers Are Saying
A story that will touch your soul
Rebel Hugger is not my normal genre and it’s not like any book you have ever read before. Such wonderful story telling of a journey that will touch your soul. So real, you will want to know more page after page. Insight into an amazing human experience and experiment that I didn’t know I needed!
– Janea
A gift of courageous vulnerability
This is not a story about hugs. Well, it is… and it’s so much more. This is an intimate portrayal of human connection that asks us to show up to ourselves and to strangers in order to become more fully alive. Examining life through the lens of her personal journey, Melinda opens the door for opportunities to see ourselves within her story, as well as become the person on the other side of open arms. Truly, a gift of courageous vulnerability and inspiration.
– Christine
I know I’m not alone
What a refreshing and relatable recount of an awakening. This book helps me understand and feel seen in my own experiences in life on earth and with other humans much better and more deeply than ever before. Even when my experiences are different than the author, the underlying themes have easily resonated and given me space and breath to move with myself more honestly. And to know that I’m not alone in any of it. Dig into this book and go hug some strangers!
– Kelbi
A beautiful and honest account
This book is for anyone who’s been told they’re “too sensitive” or “messy”, or who struggle to feel worthy, fit in, or find true belonging. Those who were or are too often their own bully, feeling shame or anxiety, and those for whom it took time to find their unique voice and bring their gifts forward. What a beautiful and honest account of one woman’s journey – that is all of our journeys – to acceptance, self-love, courage, forgiveness, and connection. It’s about empowering ourselves to listen to “our nudge” (our gut and values), to see the humanity not only in others but in ourselves. It is the practice of compassion and big magic, and how to move past our judgmental brains and reactions to live a life of deep authenticity and kindness.
– Megan
A unique and humorous perspective
At age 24, Melinda learns she has multiple sclerosis, which prompts her to reflect on her life. She concludes that everyone has an innate desire for love and connection, and no one is truly evil—just not well-loved. This leads her on two journeys, “My Year of Hugging” and “One Hug At A Time,” which transform the most mundane moments into extraordinary experiences. When a stranger asks Melinda in a Target parking lot if she has any change, and she tells him, “I don’t have any cash on me, but I do have hugs to spare if you’d like one,” her response felt vulnerable, daring, and full of potential for life-changing possibilities we could or should all embrace. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique and humorous perspective on adventures across the USA, as well as those seeking to affirm their self-worth and develop healthier, more loving relationships with others.
– May
Melinda Lee is an adventurous soul who believes in the power of hugs.
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