Book Review: Only the Beautiful - Highly Recommend

Day after day, I encountered posts from the Historical Fiction Lovers Facebook group with accolades and praise for Susan Meissner's Only the Beautiful. After closing the last page, I am gutted. My tears stream not just for the story, but for the ache of longing to share this touching story with my mother. I am sure she would have read this book and felt the same love for it I am experiencing. Then, she would do what she often did and insist upon reading it aloud to my dad on one of their trips. I'm sure the triggered emotions stem from more than just the book. I have been dealing with some intense struggles and desperately long for the old ability to call my mother and pour out my heart to her, but in her Alzheimer-afflicted state, she may not recognize my voice, let alone offer her encouragement. However, it is a book that definitely triggers emotion and sympathy for those afflicted with troubles we cannot imagine.

I also feel a special affection for this book because it involves the same research I completed when writing one of my young adult novels (still unpublished). I spent many months absorbed in books about the eugenics movement in the United States. Therefore, I was well-versed in the subject of this book. It always surprises me that more people are not aware of this significant movement in the early 1900s. They know nothing of the Carrie Buck case, Buck v. Bell, and are unfamiliar with the true initial tenets of Margaret Sanger's birth control movement. It is a dark past that many would rather leave untilled.

Only the Beautiful weaves the story of two women in the 1940s who experience and endure untold tragedy. The reader first meets 16-year-old Rosanne, recently orphaned and relying upon the kindness of the vineyard owners, the Calverts. She trains as a maid and bides her time reading the letters sent from Mr. Calvert's sister in Europe. In a moment of weakness, she shares her personal secret with Mr. Calvert. She cannot anticipate the harm it will trigger.

Miss Helen Calvert works as a nanny in Vienna. She adores the family she works for and especially dotes on their youngest, Brigitta. The child was born with birth defects and challenges, but Helen loves her sunny disposition. Even when war breaks out, Helen is determined to remain with the family, providing care for the children. When an S.S. officer visits the house, Helen emphasizes her commitment to provide for whatever needs Birgitta experiences. She, too, cannot anticipate the harm this will trigger.

Both women face unspeakable pain as the evils of this world test the depths of their love for a child. Although this is historical fiction, the motivations and wickedness driving this story line are still present today. We live in a fallen world. Man loves to think he can play God and dictate who deserves to live or die. If only we could read a touching book like this one and say, "So glad that's a thing of the past." In the words of George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." The theme of this book is crucial. Every life holds value, not only the beautiful!

Mild content caution: Although this is primarily a clean read, readers should be warned there is one brief sexual scene where a man takes advantage of a young girl (no graphic detail).

Outstanding opportunity: After reading this lovely book, I came across information for an on-line Zoom call with the author coming soon. You can search for it on Facebook through the creator, The LBs (The Lover of Books). Here is the info graphic:

If you cannot attend the live event, you could seek the You Tube channel for The LBs (The Lover of Books), as she said she will upload it there afterward.