Book Discussion: "Only The Beautiful" by Susan Meissner

When Rosie Maras' parents die in 1938, she is taken in by Truman and Celine Calvert, the owners of the California vineyard where her family worked. That is, until one fateful and confusing night that leaves Rosie pregnant. Because she hasn't done enough to hid her synesthesia (she sees colors when she hears sounds), she ends up in a home for the mentally ill, where her baby, whom she names Amaryllis, is taken from her; then, she is sterilized. In 1947, Helen Calvert is returning to California after years in Europe, the last few spent in Switzerland during WWII. Her brother, Truman, is now dead; Celine is less than welcoming, and Helen finds out about Rosie's fate and the existence of Amaryllis. Her experiences nannying for a child with special needs in Nazi-occupied Vienna have scarred her, so she is even more determined to make her family whole. Meissner (The Nature of Fragile Things, 2021) explores eugenics at home and abroad in her thought-provoking latest. Richly drawn characters and heartbreaking, historically accurate situations combine to make a powerful reading experience.

From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

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