A Beautiful Girl

"The most compelling, resonating novel I've read in years... A breathtakingly beautiful, yet heart-wrenchingly aching story that, despite its cruelty and humanity, uplifts the reader." - Omaha World-Herald NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER It is 1968. Lynnie, a young white woman with a developmental disability, and Homan, an African American deaf man, are locked away in an institution, the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded, and have been left to languish, forgotten. Deeply in love, they escape, and find refuge in the farmhouse of Martha, a retired schoolteacher and widow. But the couple is not alone-Lynnie has just given birth to a baby girl. When the authorities catch up to them that same night, Homan escapes into the darkness, and Lynnie is caught. But before she is forced back into the institution, she whispers two words to Martha: "Hide her." And so begins the 40-year epic journey of Lynnie, Homan, Martha, and baby Julia-lives divided by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, yet drawn together by a secret pact and extraordinary love.

Fans of Black Mirror and There's Someone Inside Your House will devour this disturbing story about a dark descent into social media fame. Izzy is determined to use her family's new mansion, and the treasures inside, to outshine everyone in her new town, even when it's clear that something—or someone—in the house has deadly intentions... When Isabella Brixton is forced to move from New York City to a tiny town, she's not thrilled. The silver lining is the gorgeous old mansion she now calls home. As the former residence of a glamorous patron of the arts and muse who died many decades ago, the house has its quirks: whole floors are boarded up, old paintings are covered, and cell reception is nonexistent. Isa is ready to hate her new life, but things turn around when her classmate Alexa, a skilled photographer, suggests they start an Instagram account featuring portraits of Isa inside the mansion. Wearing gowns and jewelry hidden away in the house, Isa looks perfect in the unfiltered photos—almost unnaturally so—and they quickly go viral. Soon she's got a new best friend, a potential boyfriend, and is surrounded by a group of girls who want the photoshoots and fame for themselves. But there's a darkness in the house, and a darkness growing in Isa, too. When girls start getting hurt, it's clear that something—or someone—in the house is growing in power, with deadly intentions.

For years Christiane Northrup, M.D., has taught women about heath, wellness, and the miracle of their bodies. Now, in her first children’s book, she presents her wonderful wisdom to the youngest of girls. Beautiful Girl presents this simple but important message: that to be born a girl is a very special thing and carries with it magical gifts and powers that must be recognized and nurtured. Through these empowering words and illustrations, little girls will learn how their bodies are perfect just the way they are, the importance of treating themselves with gentle care, and how changes are just a part of growing up. Dr. Northrup believes that reading and discussing this book with your girls will help them to value the wonder and uniqueness of their bodies and have positive benefits that will last throughout their lives.

(American English version)

Sarah Banet-Weiser complicates the standard feminist take on beauty pageants in this intriguing look at a hotly contested but enduringly popular American ritual. She focuses on the Miss America pageant in particular, considering its claim to be an accurate representation of the diversity of contemporary American women. Exploring the cultural constructions and legitimations that go on during the long process of the pageant, Banet-Weiser depicts the beauty pageant stage as a place where concerns about national identity, cultural hopes and desires, and anxieties about race and gender are crystallized and condensed. The beauty pageant, she convincingly demonstrates, is a profoundly political arena deserving of serious study. Drawing on cultural criticism, ethnographic research, and interviews with pageant participants and officials, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World illustrates how contestants invent and reinvent themselves while articulating the female body as a national body. Banet-Weiser finds that most pageants are characterized by the ambivalence of contemporary "liberal" feminism, which encourages individual achievement, self-determination, and civic responsibility, while simultaneously promoting very conventional notions of beauty. The book explores the many different aspects of the Miss America pageant, including the swimsuit, the interview, and the talent competitions. It also takes a closer look at some extraordinary Miss Americas, such as Bess Myerson, the first Jewish Miss America; Vanessa Williams, the first African American Miss America; and Heather Whitestone, the first Miss America with a disability.

“Nobody writes better about falling in love than Alice Adams. . . . How can one person know so much?” --The New York Times Book Review With appearances in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, and Redbook, as well as in the O. Henry Award collections for eight consecutive years, Alice Adams had established herself as a master craftsman of the short story when she published her first collection. Her well-honed skill is on abundant\t display in this collection of 16 wonderful stories that encompass a wide range of mood and situation. All are linked in the delicacy and ease of their unfolding, and in the certitude of their revelations, and in the consistency of their theme: Love. Included are “Winter Rain,” “Roses, Rhododendron,” “Home is Where,” “Jealous Husband.”

'I heard a horrible screaming sound, like an animal being slaughtered ... then I realised it was me.' When Katie Piper was 24, her life was near perfect. Young and beautiful, she was well on her way to fulfilling her dream of becoming a model. But then she met Daniel Lynch on Facebook and her world quickly turned into a nightmare ... After being held captive and brutally raped by her new boyfriend, Katie was subjected to a vicious acid attack. Within seconds, this bright and bubbly girl could feel her looks and the life she loved melting away. Beautiful is the moving true story of how one young woman had her mind, body and spirit cruelly snatched from her and how she inspired millions with her fight to get them back.

"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" is a coming-of-age story about Christopher Showers. Christopher leaves his backwoods Georgia home and moves to San Francisco. That's where his adventure begins. His journey is enlightening, romantic, comical and sexy. He meets a cast of characters and new friends who open his eyes to the new world of being a man - on his own and far from home. Most importantly, he meets Serena Davenport. The two 24-year olds fall in love, and Chris tells anyone who'll listen that Serena is the most beautiful girl in the world. But he soon realizes true love is hard to find, hard to hold, and that things are not always as they seem.