Reviews with content warning for Grief - Only the Beautiful

This book doesn’t read quickly like a thriller, however, I would say for me, that it moved at a quick pace. I couldn’t believe how quickly I could read it (even without skimming, because I didn’t want to miss anything happening).

This story is mainly divided into 2 sections - which are almost 50% of the book each. The first section is the story of Rosie. Her parents died from a tragic accident and she was left in the care of the owner of the vineyard in which they worked. This couple used her as their servant - cooking and cleaning, while paying her half of what they paid other people who didn’t meet their demands - because she was young. She ends up pregnant and in the care of the state. Because she has synesthesia, she is sent to a state facility, which specializes in the care of those with serious psychological and other problems.

The second half is the story of Helen, the sister of the husband who Rosie lived with. She adored Helen, who sent Rosie special letters and even an amaryllis plant, which she treasures. This part of the book focuses on Helen’s life during WWII, where she is a nanny for a family in Austria, who has a daughter with special needs.

Although this book covers many tough topics, I enjoyed reading it, and I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters throughout my time not reading. I am glad #bookfriendsbookclub chose this for a May selection.

Both stories focus on eugenics “good genes” - of course we know this happened with Nazi ideals of WWII, but much of this book describes eugenics in USA until the 1970s.
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“A life that will allow me to buy amaryllis bulbs to my heart’s content—the only “children” I will ever have. And I will have them. Windowsills full of them.” Ch 19

“How shortsighted I was, looking at newspaper stories of demolished buildings being cleared away, the debris being swept up and buried, and thinking the same was surely happening inside me. I should’ve known better. The human heart isn’t made of stone and wood and brick like the ruins of Europe are.” C 21

“love is a powerful force. Far more powerful than the strength I saw on display in Nazi-occupied Austria. Love, to overcome that kind of power, just needs to be unleashed from fear.” c34

“the only way, to keep close to you someone who is gone from your life. It is better than the alternative—isn’t it?—which is never having had them at all.” Ch34

“This is what makes us sublimely human, isn’t it? Not unsullied genetic perfection, but when we stubbornly love and honor one another.” Ch 36

“With giving, there is cost, isn’t there? There is always cost. Sometimes it is an easy sum to hand over. And sometimes it exacts from you the whole measure of your heart.” Epilogue

“I can very nearly see what Rosie is surely seeing at the sound, finally, of her daughter’s voice—the bursts of color, the whorls of perhaps magenta, cerulean, and goldenrod, tumbling about like jewels from heaven. I can almost see them. And they are beautiful” epilogue

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shawnna_reads2's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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bnelson13's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a very hard but very wonderful book to read. I always enjoy stories where it jumps between timelines, telling a story of the main character in the past and then the main character in the future until they finally meet up in the present, and this one was very well done. A lot of heavy topics in this book, not only of a much older man r*ping a young girl in his care and the consequences of that, but also some of the atrocities of WWII and the Nazi treatment of people with diversabilities. It also deals with forced sterilization and eugenics, both during the war in Europe, but also taking place in the United States.

Susan Meissner did a wonderful job telling the stories of Rosanne and Helen, and I found that this was a hard book to put down. My heart broke over and over for Rosanne and Helen, and the others of this story, but I'm so wonderfully happy that I was able to read it. It's a really powerful story.

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maddiet425's review

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emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’ve read three of Meissner’s books and I think this one might be my favorite! I’ve read a lot about eugenics but I still managed to learn so many new things. Despite being educational, the book rarely felt preachy or lecture-like. In fact, I can only think of two minor parts where this was the case. I loved the characters and found myself equally interested in both Helen and Rosie’s stories, something that’s always difficult in a multiple POV story. Overall, a great read.

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meliroo's review

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challenging sad

3.5

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