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Only the Beautiful

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Only the Beautiful

By: Susan Meissner
Narrated by: Xe Sands, Jorjeana Marie
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About this listen

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
Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt War
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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

What listeners say about Only the Beautiful

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A Riveting tale of loss, hope and resilience.

Story and Setting:

This is a gripping story that I found difficult to ration into just 20 or 30 minute portions at a time. It unfolds in two locations: late 1930s California and Nazi-occupied Vienna.

Characters and Plot:

The narrative is divided into two sections and follows two perspectives.

Part 1 - Roseanne Moras:

A 16-year-old orphan with synesthesia (associating colors and sounds) struggles desperately with loneliness and a sense of isolation after her parents and little brother die in a train accident. Placed with Truman and Celine Calvert, the owners of the Californian vineyard where she grew up, Roseanne desperately craves love. A forced encounter with Truman leads to pregnancy. Celine, harboring resentment, sends her to an institution where she delivers her child, Amaryllis. Then, Roseanne undergoes a forced sterilization to prevent her from "passing on her disorder." Amaryllis is taken for adoption.

Part 2 - Helen Calvert:

Truman's older sister, works as a nanny in Vienna caring for the Meier family's five children, one of them being the disabled 9-year-old Brigitta. Due to Herr Meier's high military rank, the family is unprepared for the actions of the Nazi regime. Brigitta is sent to an institution, but to spare her from experimentation, Herr Meier, unbeknownst to his family, chooses euthanasia as a kinder option. Faced with this tragedy, Helen dedicates herself to smuggling other disabled children to safety in Switzerland.

Resolution and Historical Context:

After the war, Helen returns to California only to learn about Truman's death and Roseanne's ordeal from a bitter Celine. Helen, a remarkably strong and moral character, embarks on a mission to rectify the injustice. Through her efforts and the help of kind friends like George and Layla, Helen uncovers the horrors of the eugenics movement in the US, which led to forced sterilization of thousands.
Thankfully, the story has a glimmer of hope. Roseanne and Amaryllis are reunited, but only through the combined efforts of good Samaritans like Helen. The book's exploration of eugenics laws (1930s-1950s) served as a reminder of a darker historical period with different moral codes. It emphasizes the positive evolution toward a more humane society today.
The novel highlights the importance of learning from the past to prevent similar atrocities against humanity.

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Incredible novel !!

What a find !! I was mesmerised all the way through. The two narrators brought the two timelines to life for me. I knew a little of the eugenics programme of the USA from another novel I read and was just as much appalled this time around - a terrible time for those who bore this atrocity both male & female. I will be recommending the book to other females in my family as a must read - many, many heartfelt thanks to the author for writing this book. If I could give it 10 stars I would.

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Beautiful from start to finish

Its been a long time since I listened to such a great fiction book. 10 out of 10

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Incredible! Must read

Loved this book ! Contains Heartache and hope. I only wish it was longer since I loved these characters and want to know more about their lives and futures!

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