Overall, what do you think of Only the Beautiful? (no spoilers)

Overall, what do you think of Only the Beautiful? (no spoilers)

I really enjoyed the book.

I thought it was beautifully written with Roseanne pulling at your heartstrings.

I really liked the book. Found it to be well written and the characters well drawn.

Once again, Susan Meissner delivers a dual timeline novel thats complex and captivating. She introduces of us to a totally different time period.

I loved the book. It was heart wrenching to read at times but also very uplifting. The characters were so well-developed; I felt like I was right there with them. I also enjoyed the style of the book in that it was divided into two distinct sections, as opposed to those novels that jump back and forth chapter to chapter. I stayed engaged and read well into a few nights, wanting to get further along in the journey. Also interesting to learn about synesthesia as well as the unthinkable practices of mental institutions at that time in history.

I was curious when I researched the book "Only the Beautiful". I am blown away by the novel. Just recently I learned about Eugenics while reading "Take My Hand" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. What Susan Meissner does in "Only the Beautiful" is masterful. There are actually two stories woven into one. She introduced me to synesthesia, a mix up of wires in the brain which a main character is experiencing and causes her to be institutionalized, and brings Eugenics into the story. This novel has it all - an interesting time period, characters that come to life, a few unexpected twists, and a roller coaster of emotions.

Great response, Rocky's Butler.

The book was beautifully written. I agree with LizB about its structure. In Rosie's section, there were brief mentions of Helen. I wanted to know more about her and was rewarded in the second section. I had never heard of synesthesia before. Susan Meissner did a masterful job of researching both synesthesia and eugenics and weaving them together in a suspenseful, heartbreaking and very satisfying story. The parallels between Nazi Germany and what was happening in the mental institutions of the United States were chilling. The Nature of Fragile Things was one of my all time favorites. Only the Beautiful did not disappoint. Ms.Meissner has written many other books which I look forward to reading.

I really enjoyed the book. Rocky’s answer describes my thoughts on the book too.

I really liked this book. It engaged me and touched me deeply. It is a book from which I learned much. It also brought thoughts of special needs relatives born many years ago and how they were sheltered by family, with their needs unspoken. I think I have a better understanding of that now.

I really liked this book but it made me really angry. It is frustrating to read about things we cannot change or undo. I chose it because I am a fan of Susan Meissner and she once again did not disappoint me.

I have been a subscriber to Book Browser for almost a 1 1/2 years and have been amazed by the books selected for book group discussions. This book was no exception.
I was not aware of visual synesthesia, and felt the author did a wonderful job setting the stage for understanding how Rosie’s diagnosis related to the story line involving eugenics. The author wove important points about the historical perspective of eugenics together with how society views people born with physical or mental challenges (value of life, burden to society)
I had a hunch how the story might end, and though that hunch was technically correct, the way in which the author ended the story was better than I could have imagined and was one that brought tears to my eyes. I will definitely read another book by this author.

I throughly enjoyed reading the book Only the Beautiful. It was a very easy and enjoyable read. I cannot say that I was surprised to see that the author brought in the subject of eugenics, as there have been other novels that talked about this program. It is sad to know that this went on long after WWII ended. The relationship between Rosanne “Rosie” and Helen was described so beautifully and even though it was Helen’s own family that caused so much pain both Rosie and Helen were able to reconnect and start a new relationship and raise a daughter and niece.

I thought the book was very well written about the topic of eugenics. I enjoyed the second story about Helen more than the beginning about Rosie because it was fuller and more complex. Rosie was more of a victim; Helen had more agency over her life choices and thus was more interesting ti me.

I loved the book. It was very well written and easy to read despite the very serious and upsetting subject matters.

I really enjoyed this book especially since it educated me about the topic of synesthesia. I knew it existed but had only a vague idea of the way it could affect a person’s life and perception of the world.

I found myself caught up in the story and cared for the outcome immensely. However, I was disappointed that Rosie literally dropped off the page for too many chapters only to emerge in time for its three-page epilogue.

I loved this book, it was beautifully written.

When I first started it, and all the events started unfolding, I was anxious and worried for Roseanne. I also kept reminding myself, it was the late 1930s, and had to keep my late 20th century thoughts in check. Roseanne had great fortitude and determination. As for Helen, she encountered life altering circumstances that gave her life a new purpose. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and how it came together in the end.

I learned a lot from this book which was beautifully written with well defined characters. The author did a great job describing the emotions of the characters, the circumstances and decisions which affected them and the hurdles of their lives.

What better way to educate people on such difficult topics as Hitler's regime and eugenics and then introduce them to a disorder they perhaps had never heard of, than a well written novel? Meissner does it very well indeed.

I really loved this book too. The characters were so lifelike and I found myself really invested in both of their narratives. Meissner does a beautiful job of weaving fiction and history together.

This book broadened my knowledge of history; I had no idea how far-reaching were the practices of eugenics and forced sterilization. Susan Meissner did a great job of fleshing out the characters and researching sensitive topics.

I found it a bit difficult to get into. Subconsciously, it may have been because I knew it was going to be a dark read. While the eugenics storyline was offputting, people do need to know that was part of our history.

I loved this as well and echo everyone's sentiments here.

I posted my overall thoughts already in my review, but here's an excerpt from it that encapsulates what I liked most about this book:

Meissner’s latest Only the Beautiful is one of those books that has so much of what I look for in a truly excellent read: a genre I love (historical fiction), a beautifully well-written and engrossing narrative, well-developed characters whom I could relate to and root for, meticulously researched elements incorporated seamlessly into the story, and a thought-provoking story arc with emotional depth that continues to stay with me long after I finish reading the book.

I enjoyed reading this book. It created realistic settings for characters that I could connect with. I thought Susan Meissner's writing was beautiful and evocative of a time and place. I would recommend this book. It provokes thought long after the reader has finished.

I loved this book and rate it 5*. This was the first Meissner book I have read and I plan to read more of her books. I felt I knew the characters and their situations.

I loved this book. I thought it was well-written with well-developed characters. I was invested in the characters and thought about them after finishing the book. I have read other books by Susan Meissner and have never been disappointed/

This is an outstanding book. I loved the writing, the characters, and the story. However, the circumstances of the characters made it difficult to read at times. This author did an amazing job with the two storylines. I loved both of them. I need to read more of her books!

I loved "Only the Beautiful". The novel is well-researched and well-written. The structure of the story and the character development really hooked me in. Honestly, I found this book hard to put down. Bravo to Susan Meissner!

I loved this book and rated it a 5, which I give frequently! Thank you, Susan Meissner for all your research and telling a beautiful story. I highly recommend this book to anyone.