Overview

"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. 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."

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Reviews

"Praise for Only the Beautiful ""Meissner delivers a nuanced and heartbreaking tale; expect to read through tear-filled eyes as the story concludes."" –Library Journal ""Meissner unfurls an emotionally rich narrative… Readers will be riveted.” –Publishers Weekly ""Richly drawn characters and heartbreaking, historically accurate situations combine to make a powerful reading experience."" –Booklist American Library Association Praise for the novels of Susan Meissner ""A somber, gripping tale illuminated with hope.""–Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network ""A story of one family's heartbreak and hope. Strong [and] resilient, Meissner's characters step off the page and into history.""–Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours ""With stunning prose and keen detail, Meissner has deftly created a heady mix of love, politics, and survival--a family saga, coming-of-age tale, and riveting historical fiction all in one. A must-read!""–Pam Jenoff, author of The Orphan's Tale"

Praise for Only the Beautiful Meissner delivers a nuanced and heartbreaking tale; expect to read through tear-filled eyes as the story concludes. -Library Journal Meissner unfurls an emotionally rich narrative... Readers will be riveted. -Publishers Weekly Richly drawn characters and heartbreaking, historically accurate situations combine to make a powerful reading experience. -Booklist American Library Association Praise for the novels of Susan Meissner A somber, gripping tale illuminated with hope. -Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network A story of one family's heartbreak and hope. Strong [and] resilient, Meissner's characters step off the page and into history. -Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours With stunning prose and keen detail, Meissner has deftly created a heady mix of love, politics, and survival--a family saga, coming-of-age tale, and riveting historical fiction all in one. A must-read! -Pam Jenoff, author of The Orphan's Tale

Author Information

Susan Meissner is a former managing editor of a weekly newspaper and an award-winning columnist. She is the USA Today best sellingauthor of The Nature of Fragile Things, The Last Year of the War, As Bright As Heaven, A Bridge Across the Ocean, Secrets of a Charmed Life, A Fall of Marigolds, and Stars over Sunset Boulevard, among other novels.

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