The Story of Beautiful Girl

The Story of Beautiful Girl is a beautiful story, indeed. In its sweeping breadth and textured detail lies a finely crafted testament to the benevolence and brutality of our humanity. I dare you to read the first twenty pages and not keep going.

John Grogan, New York Times bestselling author of Marley & Me

[An] enthralling love story. Simon has written an enormously affecting read, and provided sensitive insight into a complex world often dismissed by the "abled"

Publisher's Weekly

The Story of Beautiful Girl is the most compelling, resonating novel I've read in years. It is a love story, a mystery and a visceral indictment of a once-popular way of dealing with the disabled in U.S. society. Rachel Simon has crafted a breathtakingly beautiful, yet heart-wrenchingly aching story that, despite its cruelty and inhumanity, uplifts the reader

World Herald

Truly stirring

Entertainment Weekly

Simon infuses it, bit by bit, with the expectation of a gratifying conclusion, one that rewards an indomitable romantic and parental love for its many surprises

Boston Globe

Heart-tugging

O, the Oprah magazine

Readers of Rachel Simon's fiction know that she's a hopeful romantic. Her work is smart and laced with sweetness, presenting an optimistic view even when her subject matter is bleak. It's a perspective Simon achieves, in part, by taking an unexpected angle on her subject - and subjects. She brings an anthropologist's eye to her stories, describing characters, action, and emotion as if she were new to the weary world. By seeing anew what comes naturally to most of us - cognition, memory, hearing, speech - Simon illuminates her characters' interior lives and finds new and forgotten meaning in familiar symbols. The novel's resolution is unexpected and satisfying, allowing for empathy with Lynnie's conflicted family, who ' put her away.' Simon's thorough research, detailed in an author's note, is evident in her careful crafting of this moving story. Those readers familiar with her insightful memoir, Riding the Bus with my Sister, will find this new fictional work an opportune meeting of author and material

Philidelphia Enquirer

Improbably beautiful

Christian Science Monitor

One of those moving stories that stays with you long after you've turned the last page. Ideal for fans of The Memory Keeper's Daughter ... packed with stunning description and an astute understanding of the frustrations of living with a disability and being totally misunderstood. A truly eye-opening tale.

SHE magazine, Book of the Month

If you loved Lori Lansens' The Girls, you'll love this even more. Beautiful story-telling that pulls you right in.

Red

A gripping yet tender storyline that unfolds as the insurmountable obstacles are faced with bravery and loyalty. You're sure to be reaching for the tissues

Candis

A moving and disturbing tale of love and loyalty. And you might cry

Sun Buzz magazine

An enthralling and moving novel

Woman & Home

A moving and disturbing tale of love and loyalty. And you might cry

Sun Buzz Magazine

It's rare to find a book with a fast- paced plot that's also beautifully written, but this delivers ... an uplifting tale of the power of love against the odds - you'll be gripped

Weight Watchers Magazine

Simon combines love story and social accountability to great effect

Guardian

A glorious listen.

Kati Nicholl, Daily Express