Beautyland by Marie Helene Bertino (ONLINE) - Option 2

Beautyland by Marie Helene Bertino is our May 2025 novel. Sign up for May 24 or 31.

Publisher's description:
At the moment when Voyager 1 is launched into space carrying its famous golden record, a baby of unusual perception is born to a single mother in Philadelphia. Adina Giorno is tiny and jaundiced, but she reaches for warmth and light. As a child, she recognizes that she is different: She possesses knowledge of a faraway planet. The arrival of a fax machine enables her to contact her extraterrestrial relatives, beings who have sent her to report on the oddities of Earthlings.

For years, as she moves through the world and makes a life for herself among humans, she dispatches transmissions on the terrors and surprising joys of their existence. Then, at a precarious moment, a beloved friend urges Adina to share her messages with the world. Is there a chance she is not alone?

Marie-Helene Bertino’s Beautyland is a novel of startling originality about the fragility and resilience of life on our Earth and in our universe. It is a remarkable evocation of the feeling of being in exile at home, and it introduces a gentle, unforgettable alien for our times.

Comments from our members (via Discord):
Ed: "A sweet, sad story. I enjoyed it immensely."
Jane: "An interesting and well written novel. It stayed with me after I finished. I think it would be a great read for our group."
Dave: "This a wonderful book. A fascinating character with an unique view of contemporary world."
Joan: "When I was close to finished, I wanted to know how it ended, yet I didn't want it to end! I’d love to discuss it with the group"

See our Discord for reviews, resources, and comments about this novel, plus author interviews.