Only the Beautiful

By: Susan Meissner

Narrated by: Xe Sands, Jorjeana Marie

A Best Historical Fiction of Spring Pick by Amazon, PopSugar, AARP, and BookBub!

A heartrending story about a young mother’s fight to keep her daughter, and the terrible injustice that tears them apart, by the USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things and The Last Year of the War.

California, 1938—When she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresser’s daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvert’s spacious house with a secret, however—Rosie sees colors when she hears sound. She promised her mother she’d never reveal her little-understood ability to anyone, but the weight of her isolation and grief prove too much for her. Driven by her loneliness she not only breaks the vow to her mother, but in a desperate moment lets down her guard and ends up pregnant. Banished by the Calverts, Rosanne believes she is bound for a home for unwed mothers. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place that seeks to forcibly take her baby – and the chance for any future babies – from her.

Austria, 1947—After witnessing firsthand Adolf Hitler’s brutal pursuit of hereditary purity—especially with regard to “different children”—Helen Calvert, Truman’s sister, is ready to return to America for good. But when she arrives at her brother’s peaceful vineyard after decades working abroad, she is shocked to learn what really happened nine years earlier to the vinedresser’s daughter, a girl whom Helen had long ago befriended. In her determination to find Rosanne, Helen discovers a shocking American eugenics program—and learns that that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still terrifying battles to be fought at home.

©2023 Susan Meissner (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Only the Beautiful is an emotional journey of grief, hope, and second chances… Meissner pulls no punches in comparing America’s treatment of people with disabilities with the Nazis’ actions a few years later, leaving the reader with the emphatic message that everyone has a moral obligation to speak out against governments doing horrible things. This one resonates.” – Historical Novels Review

“Susan Meissner is a master of the genre…[Only the Beautiful] is set in 1930s California and explores our country’s brief but troubling fascination with eugenics via the story of Helen.” – San Diego Union-Tribute

"Uncovers the horrors of eugenics movements through the stories of two women in 20th-century America.” – PopSugar

Seeing the world in colors…

SPOILERS


Rosie’s character capture my heart from the very start. Relating with her on such a personal level. I was once an unwed, pregnant 19 year old, who struggled all throughout school, feeling and seeing the world a bit differently than the majority of my peers. My soul ached as I imagined what it would have looked like if my own life had unfolded decades before it did. Before the scientific studies, awareness and understanding of those who learn and experience things a bit “differently.” Rosie’s beautiful mind weaving the journey that went hand and hand with fear threaded in hope. The wanting to be loved, to know love. The wanting to have freedom and choices. Then the ripping away of both.


Helen, the nurturing Aunt we all need. I couldn’t fathom connecting with another character in this book in the way I did Rosie but when Helen came on the scene in part two, she completely captivated me. Captured me in a way that inspired me to keep my soul soft through struggles. To love the forgotten ones. To heal from heartbreak and turn it into healing for others. Her tenacity mixed with tenderness. Her aching love for Brigitta. I wept with her on that rug floor grieving the death of a sweet soul stolen by the eugenics horrific ideologies.

May we all fight and figure things out like Rosie. Love and empathize like Helen. Smile like Brigitta did and have resilience like Amaryllis.

Listened to the whole thing at 1.2x speed

The story is interesting and uniquely told-5 stars. It is a little long getting started. I actually didn’t love the back and forth between a few years ago and now—I’m not sure that it really added to the story to go back and forth rather than just tell the story chronologically. I usually don’t mind that technique but this one bothered me. Xe Sands does sound like everything she said is about to bubble a laugh which I think is just her performance style. Not awful, just noticeable. Both read too slow though so I had to dial it up faster.

Wow, amazing, heartfelt..just a joy to listen to..

So many messages to take away from this book. Highly recommend. It’s well worth it

Beautifully written story

I had a hard time putting this book down. the story is so well written and really makes you think and feel. highly recommend this one!

Great job of dovetailing Eugenics with Nazi Gremany

Interesting characters and liked the two part narration. Very excellent point on Eugenics and Nazi ideology. Margaret Sanger’s mark is still being seen. 30% more African-Americans aborted than any other race in America.

Captivating

Drew me in write away. Dueling storylines taking place during WWII. If you love historical fiction, it doesn’t get much better than this. A must read.

Inspirational

Great example of what we can do as individuals when we take a stand for truth. We should never turn a blind eye. Very well written.

question

what happened with Mother and daughters relationship? Did they continue their life with each other?

Another excellent book!

This author can write! I finished it in two days. Can't wait to get started on another by her! Excellent history lesson in this one. Excellent narration!

Surprised and anguished

I love the beautiful flow of the writing!! I was unaware of the atrocities that went on in the US as late as the 70s, and this historical fiction was an eye-opener! It is a beautiful, and also a heartbreaking story! I loved this book!