A Beautiful, Terrible Thing

A Memoir of Marriage and Betrayal

De: Jen Waite

Narrado por: Jen Waite

A woman discovers her marriage is built on an illusion in this harrowing and ultimately inspiring memoir.

“Be forewarned: You won’t sleep until you finish the last page.”—Caroline Leavitt, author of Cruel Beautiful World

One night. One email. Two realities...

Before: Jen Waite has met the partner of her dreams. A handsome, loving man who becomes part of her family, evolving into her husband, her best friend, and the father of her infant daughter.

After: A disturbing email sparks suspicion, leading to an investigation of who this man really is and what was really happening in their marriage.

In alternating Before and After chapters, Waite obsessively analyzes her relationship, trying to find a single moment form the past five years that isn't part of the long con of lies and manipulation. Instead, she finds more lies, infidelity, and betrayal than she could have imagined. With the pacing and twists of a psychological thriller, A Beautiful, Terrible Thing looks at how a fairy tale can become a nightmare and what happens when “it could never happen to me” actually does.

Vulnerable and Emotionally Available.

I liked this book a lot. I read it in a little over a day, the storyline so compelling. For anyone who has gone through something similar, this book helps validate your feelings and emotional reactions.

Overall, even with it's at times overwrought writing and emotional baggage, this was a great book with an unsurprising ending. A bit tone deaf and petty but all in all a enlightening and definitely I was unable to stop reading.

I already plan to buy copies for a couple of friends. Definitely recommend.

Gripping

Such a well constructed audiobook that at times I forgot that the author was telling me her own, harrowing true story.
This will sound odd– but I kinda feel like a better person for reading this book because the author explains the personal impacts of all these crazy events so well that I walk away with insights about life that I don't think I otherwise would have had.

Amazing Book!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Beautiful, Terrible Thing to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version of the book. But with that being said, I think listening to Jen Waite tell her story in her own voice brings the story to life. You can hear each emotion - pain, disappointment, anxiety, hope and redemption portrayed as she tells her story. It is like you are there with her through the life changing events.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jen Waite, of course. She is the true definition of strength. She may have stumbled, but she got back up, dusted herself off, and showed the world she wouldn't let this devastation define her and her daughter's life.

Which character – as performed by Jen Waite – was your favorite?

Sebastian - he truly has as "old soul" for a young child.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The whole booked moved me. Since Jen's story mirror a time in my life so closely, I couldn't help but feel each emotion she felt while telling the story of such a life changing event.

Amazing story!

I couldn't turn it off. I felt like I knew Jen after listening to her voice. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next or how much more she could take! Sadly, This, this type of "sickness" is so much more common that we all realize. Jen did a brilliant job of putting her painful feelings into words and I'm praying for happiness for her and her daughter. Thank you for sharing your story, Jen.

Several things interfered with the story

The first was the narrator. The monotone predictable rhythm of the narration was maintained through the entire story. Worse, however, was the narrator's "vocal fry," a phenomenon much criticized in the media and found most prominently in young women. The voice of the author is the best (worst) example of this I've ever heard. It was grating! Next, there were many grammatical errors. Finally, I found it difficult to accept that when the author was pretty sure her husband was cheating, she continued to confront him even when it was clear he wasn't telling the truth. She then involved her parents and his parents in trying to get him to admit his transgression. This went on and on and on. With the money involved on both sides of the family, all doubt could have been resolved almost immediately by hiring a private investigator. I also couldn't believe that the author revealed to her husband every tactic she was using to verify his cheating. This should have cut her off completely from the flow of relevant information. No doubt, the husband's behavior was beyond horrible. There was no discussion, however of what creates the psychopathic personality and whether there is effective treatment. I finished listening to the book, but might not have if it had gone on a moment longer.

Comforting and Healing

I could relate to so many things in this story. It left me encouraged. Grateful that this experience was shared.

WOW

Honestly didn’t really know what to expect out of this book. But it exceeded any expectations I did have. I could not turn it off. A beautiful tragic story carried by strength and family.

Well Done!

This is a different kind of story in that it's more of a testimonial. If you're looking for something with a lot of twists and turns, you may want to pass on this one. On the other hand, if you want a well written cautionary tale about the innerworkings of sociopathy and the havoc in can wreak on innocent, good people, check this one out. Kudo's to the Author (who is also the narrator) for having the courage to put this one out there. .

Thanks for a window into your trauma and healing

Thanks to Ms. Waite for sharing her personal story. She describes the breakdown of her marriage with honesty and grace but also acknowledging the overwhelming trauma she went through. Sometimes people don’t know how strong they really are but they find out in a way they really didn’t want to.

Validating

It was a joy to read this book because I went through almost identical feelings when my husband was cheating and lying and all the things she describes. All of her emotions I also experienced and it was very validating to hear that what I went through is “normal“ for this type of situation. It really made me smile at the end when Jen wanted to become a counselor to help other people with similar situations. Going through this type of situation you learn so much and you want to help other people. I also have felt the same way. It’s just so sad and unfortunate that women who do commit lovingly and kindly and passionately to their husbands and to their family get this type of behavior in return. It’s just not normal for human beings to treat each other this way. I will never understand it. Thanks for writing your book. I hope you and your daughter have a very successful and happy life.