Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Call number
F MEI
Publication
Berkley (2023), 400 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:A heartrending story about a young mother�??s fight to keep her daughter, and the winds of fortune that tear 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, and having lost her family she treasures her pregnancy as the chance for a future one. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place far worse than anything she could have imagined. 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 that while the war had been won in Europe, there are stil… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Kris_Anderson
Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner is a touching story. It is a dual timeline novel that takes us back to 1938 when Rosie lost her parents in an accident. The sixteen-year girl is taken in by the Calvert’s who own the vineyard where Rosie’s parents worked. Rosie becomes the Calvert’s maid
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(cook, cleaner, laundress). When Rosie becomes pregnant, Mrs. Calvert has Rosie sent to an institution. Rosie had made the mistake of telling a person about her synesthesia which was not understood at the time. In 1947, Helen Calvert returns to the United States after working as a nanny abroad. Helen’s brother, Truman has since passed. When Helen learns what Celine Calvert did to Rosie, she sets out to find her. Only the Beautiful is an emotional story. It is heartbreaking to read about the eugenics movement. I appreciated the author’s note at the end which provided additional information. I thought the story was well-written with developed characters. Rosie and Helen are great characters. I enjoyed getting to know them. I like the author incorporated the amaryllis into the story. I can tell the author did her research for this book and incorporated it beautifully. The story does address some difficult topics (racism, institutionalization, sterilization, assault, and doctor experimentation) which some people might have trouble reading about. It is a shame that throughout history those who are “different” are often targeted. Only the Beautiful is an informative book. It is a story that provokes discussion and it had me searching for more information on a couple of the topics mentioned. I enjoyed the author’s beautiful descriptions of the vineyard. The theme that runs throughout the book is that no one needs to live the life that someone else has mapped out for them. The determined can carve out their own path. Only the Beautiful is a compelling tale orphaned adolescent, unwavering vineyard owner, a compassionate nanny, vibrant sounds, an involuntary surgery, and a desperate hunt. Show Less
LibraryThing member SilversReviews
WOW - another beautiful read by Susan Meissner!!
After Rosanne's parents were killed in an accident, she moved into the house of the vineyard owners where her parents worked.
Celine and Truman Calvert were always good to Rosanne and her family, but Celine said Roseanne couldn’t be treated like
Rosanne enjoyed her time as the family’s domestic until she was betrayed by their son when he told the Calverts she sees colors and which during this time society didn’t accept people who were different.
Seeing colors was considered different and a defect.
Another misfortune fell on her when she became pregnant by a member of the household.
Rosanne was sent to a home, but not one for unwed mothers. This home sterilized young women who had defects.
Meanwhile the Calvert’s daughter, Helen, was working in Europe as a nanny and kept in touch with Rosanne even though the contact lessened over the years.
When Helen came home after WWII and found out what happened to Rosanne nine years ago, she was saddened and shocked thinking of her young charge in Austria who was not perfect and was killed because of her defects.
Beautifully written with the main character, Rosanne, who you will love and who will pull at your heartstrings.
You will also become fond of Helen and praise all the good she did to help during WWII and when she came back to America.
ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL is another marvelous, marvelous read by Susan Meissner that fans will not want to miss and one I didn’t want to put down.
Enjoy, and have some tissues ready!! 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
After Rosanne's parents were killed in an accident, she moved into the house of the vineyard owners where her parents worked.
Celine and Truman Calvert were always good to Rosanne and her family, but Celine said Roseanne couldn’t be treated like
Show More
family but could be their domestic help.Rosanne enjoyed her time as the family’s domestic until she was betrayed by their son when he told the Calverts she sees colors and which during this time society didn’t accept people who were different.
Seeing colors was considered different and a defect.
Another misfortune fell on her when she became pregnant by a member of the household.
Rosanne was sent to a home, but not one for unwed mothers. This home sterilized young women who had defects.
Meanwhile the Calvert’s daughter, Helen, was working in Europe as a nanny and kept in touch with Rosanne even though the contact lessened over the years.
When Helen came home after WWII and found out what happened to Rosanne nine years ago, she was saddened and shocked thinking of her young charge in Austria who was not perfect and was killed because of her defects.
Beautifully written with the main character, Rosanne, who you will love and who will pull at your heartstrings.
You will also become fond of Helen and praise all the good she did to help during WWII and when she came back to America.
ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL is another marvelous, marvelous read by Susan Meissner that fans will not want to miss and one I didn’t want to put down.
Enjoy, and have some tissues ready!! 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member fredreeca
Rosie has lost her parents and she has been taken in by the owners of the vineyard in which her father worked. She is their ward but yet she is treated like a house servant. When she gets pregnant by the owner’s husband, she is sent to a psychiatric hospital. There, she is sterilized and she also
It is hard to believe all that happened to Rosie. This girl overcame so much only to be knocked down time and time again. But…and you will need to read this to find out…it takes a good while, but Rosie wins in the end! Thanks to Helen! Helen is Rosie’s baby’s aunt. Helen is determined to make right a wrong done to Rosie.
Wow! Susan Meissner has done it again! I swear, this author can create some of the most heart breaking and beautiful stories. And this one is amazing!
Need a story which will have you mad as fire one minute and jumping for joy the next…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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has her baby taken away. When Rosie is released at 21 years of age, she changes her name and tries to move on.It is hard to believe all that happened to Rosie. This girl overcame so much only to be knocked down time and time again. But…and you will need to read this to find out…it takes a good while, but Rosie wins in the end! Thanks to Helen! Helen is Rosie’s baby’s aunt. Helen is determined to make right a wrong done to Rosie.
Wow! Susan Meissner has done it again! I swear, this author can create some of the most heart breaking and beautiful stories. And this one is amazing!
Need a story which will have you mad as fire one minute and jumping for joy the next…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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LibraryThing member beckyhaase
ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL by Susan Meissner
This two-pronged story tells of the young vinedresser’s daughter, Roseanne, who is orphaned and then turned into a maid/servant by her supposed guardians. The inter twining story tells of Roseanne’s “aunt” who has shown her great kindness and love, but is
These two stories are dependent on each other as they tell of man’s inhumanity to man and also great love and resilience. Meissner is able to show both good and characters in all their faults, but also their humanity. She has done her research on vine dressing, wine making and on Europe in the years preceding and during Hitler’s rise. Meissners’ great ability to empathize with her characters and cause them to grow and change in the course of the story makes the novel radiant with life.
Book groups will have many topics to discuss – meaning of family, child abuse, discrimination, grief, adoption, exploitation of minors, mental health, abusive laws, sterilizations, love, empathy and more.
5 of 5 stars
This two-pronged story tells of the young vinedresser’s daughter, Roseanne, who is orphaned and then turned into a maid/servant by her supposed guardians. The inter twining story tells of Roseanne’s “aunt” who has shown her great kindness and love, but is
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far away in Europe facing her own devils when Roseanne’s parents die.These two stories are dependent on each other as they tell of man’s inhumanity to man and also great love and resilience. Meissner is able to show both good and characters in all their faults, but also their humanity. She has done her research on vine dressing, wine making and on Europe in the years preceding and during Hitler’s rise. Meissners’ great ability to empathize with her characters and cause them to grow and change in the course of the story makes the novel radiant with life.
Book groups will have many topics to discuss – meaning of family, child abuse, discrimination, grief, adoption, exploitation of minors, mental health, abusive laws, sterilizations, love, empathy and more.
5 of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member EllenH
Well done! Novel explres the life of a young girl, put into the care of a family and eventually placed in a "home" for disabled and imbeciles and became a victim of the eugenics program in California after becoming pregnant.
LibraryThing member srms.reads
Happy Publication Day!
April 18, 2023
4.5⭐️
“Who defines what is weakness? I’d wondered. Isn’t it only the strong who get to decide that? Isn’t it only the strong who have the power to act on what they decide? How can that be right or fair or good?”
In 1938, sixteen-year-old Rosanne
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“Rosie” Maras is taken in by her Celine and Truman Calvert after her parents and younger brother perished in a tragic accident. Her late father was employed as a vinedresser by the Calverts and she had spent her whole life on their property in Sonoma County, California. Celine Calvert employs her as a Maid, hoping to prepare her for a future in domestic service. Rosie is somewhat content with her life with the Calverts, though she grieves for her losses. Eventually, Rosie ends up pregnant and Celine ships her off to what Rosie assumes will be a home for unwed mothers. What follows is a horrifying sequence of events, depicting one of the worst kinds of evils exacted in the name of science and the greater good, against helpless individuals with no agency or the right to defend themselves. Rosie associates every audio stimulation to different colors, and sees colors when she hears sounds, – a neurological condition (“synesthesia”) that was not known much about at the time and therefore labeled an “abnormality”. It is this label that leaves her fate in the hands of those who consider her “abnormality” a “burden” on society. In 1947, after spending almost 40 years in Europe, working as a nanny, Truman Calver’s sister Helen returns to California. Her brother has since passed on and his wife isn’t too happy to have Helen in her home. Celine becomes even more hostile when Helen enquires after Rosie, the young girl she had befriended years ago. When she learns of Rosie’s plight, Helen set out to find her and her child. Her quest leads her to the realization that evil practices similar to the ones she had witnessed in Nazi-occupied Europe exist closer to home than she could have ever imagined.
Meticulously researched, informative, brutal and heartbreaking, Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner is a remarkable work of historical fiction. Powerful prose and the dual PoVs set against different backdrops in the same era render this novel a compelling read. Both Rosie’s and Helen’s PoVs are heart-wrenching. While Rosie’s story paints a heartbreaking picture of those forcibly institutionalized as “mentally ill” and whose fates are determined by the whims of doctors and social workers, Helen’s account of her life in Vienna during the Nazi occupation, which is revealed through flashbacks - the atrocities of war and the crimes exacted against children deemed to be unfit by Nazi evaluators, Aktion T4 and Krankenmorde – is horrifying. The narrative is well-structured and though I found the ending to be a tad too neat, I am glad that the story ends on a hopeful note. Do read the Author’s Note wherein the author discusses the historical context of this story. While I have read about involuntary euthanasia practiced in the early years of WWII under the Nazi regime, I had limited knowledge of the eugenics laws practiced in the United States in that era and was unaware of the fact that these practices not only predated and influenced Nazi policies but were continued for several decades.
“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.”
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for providing a digital review copy of this novel via Edelweiss . All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Please Note: Given the subject matter, it is evident that this book is not an easy read. Please note that many of these topics and events described in this story are immensely disturbing.
⚠ Rape, involuntary euthanasia and forced sterilizations.
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LibraryThing member rmarcin
Simply beautiful story of a mother's love.
In 1938, Rosie is orphaned, and taken in by the family who owns the vineyard. She has synesthesia, which means she sees colors when she hears things. Her parents told her to be careful with this secret, because it was misunderstood, and people felt that
In 1947, Helen (sister of Truman, Celine's husband) cares for a child with some deformities who is taken by Hitler's party and killed. She is appalled. She finds out about Rosie, her child, and her connection. She is determined to find the baby.
Beautifully written.
In 1938, Rosie is orphaned, and taken in by the family who owns the vineyard. She has synesthesia, which means she sees colors when she hears things. Her parents told her to be careful with this secret, because it was misunderstood, and people felt that
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she was damaged. One night, Rosie is impregnated, and when Celine Calvert finds out, she sends her away to a hospital for the mentally ill. There, she delivers her child, but gets sterilized, as part of the eugenics program. Her baby is taken from her. In 1947, Helen (sister of Truman, Celine's husband) cares for a child with some deformities who is taken by Hitler's party and killed. She is appalled. She finds out about Rosie, her child, and her connection. She is determined to find the baby.
Beautifully written.
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LibraryThing member JReynolds1959
It is 1938 in California and Roseanne Maras is sixteen years old and her family (Mom, Dad & brother) have died in a tragic accident. She has been growing up on a vineyard owned by the Calverts. When her family dies, Truman & Celine Calvert take her in as custodians.
Rosie has a secret. She sees
It is Europe in 1947. Truman Calvert's sister Helen has been living in Europe and being a nanny to several families. She had been in contact with her brother and also with Rosie through the years.
This novel is a wonderful meshing of these lives. Horrible things go on that are part of history. World War II and all of the atrocities that were part of that are all part of this novel.
Rosie has a secret. She sees
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colors when she hears sounds. She promised her mother she would never tell anyone. But Rosie has told two people about this and, ergo, her life takes turns for the worse because of it. It is Europe in 1947. Truman Calvert's sister Helen has been living in Europe and being a nanny to several families. She had been in contact with her brother and also with Rosie through the years.
This novel is a wonderful meshing of these lives. Horrible things go on that are part of history. World War II and all of the atrocities that were part of that are all part of this novel.
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LibraryThing member JillHannah
It's another hit for me from this author. This time, her historical fiction story pulls back the curtain on eugenics back in the 1930s and 1940s (which continued in many states for decades afterward.) I loved 16 yo Rosanne who has lost her parents and only sibling, taken in by the owners of the
The horror of fact behind this fiction makes the story even more gripping and the author does a fabulous job of enlightening the reader while entertaining us with interesting characters and several subplots.
I loved the characters (the ones that were loveable!) and the way the story played out. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this fantastic read.
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vineyard that had employed her parents, but treated as a maid instead of family. Rosanne is "different" in that she sees colors when she hears things, which lands her in a mental institution. The horror of fact behind this fiction makes the story even more gripping and the author does a fabulous job of enlightening the reader while entertaining us with interesting characters and several subplots.
I loved the characters (the ones that were loveable!) and the way the story played out. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this fantastic read.
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
Two stories- one in US and the other in Vienna at the beginning of wwii. Rosie and Helen excellent characters. Eugenics alive and well in US during this time.
LibraryThing member mchwest
Wow. Well this is definitely an eye opener for me. I thought this book was very well written and researched thoroughly. Its good to know this mutilation of people isn't happening in our part of the world anymore.
Language
Original publication date
2023
Physical description
400 p.; 9.38 inches
Pages
400
ISBN
0593332830 / 9780593332832