This Terrible Beauty

A Novel

By: Katrin Schumann

Narrated by: Kathleen Gati, Robert Fass

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

From the bestselling author of The Forgotten Hours comes an unforgettable story of one woman’s journey to reclaim what she lost in a country torn apart by the devastating legacy of WWII.

On the windswept shores of an East German island, Bettina Heilstrom struggles to build a life from the ashes. World War II has ended, and her country is torn apart. Longing for a family, she marries Werner, an older bureaucrat who adores her. But after joining the fledgling secret police, he is drawn deep into its dark mission and becomes a dangerous man.

When Bettina falls in love with an idealistic young renegade, Werner discovers her infidelity and forces her to make a terrible choice: spend her life in prison or leave her home forever. Either way she loses both her lover and child.

Ten years later, Bettina has reinvented herself as a celebrated photographer in Chicago, but she’s never stopped yearning for the baby she left behind. Surprised by an unexpected visitor from her past, she resolves to return to her ravaged homeland to reclaim her daughter and uncover her beloved’s fate, whatever the cost.

©2020 Katrin Schumann (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Good

It was interesting to read about Germany after WW2. I had not thought much about the Russian occupation except for the wall.

Could have been a good book, but...

For some reason, I did not care for the narrator's voice- to the point where I struggled to finish the book.
Also, the author went into too much detail quite often, making it hard to pay attention. Lots of backtracking here. But I did finish it.

Riveting

The story itself was riveting. However the sing-song voice of the female narrator made me want to pull my hair out. She was just awful and I almost quit listening many times. If I could still see well enough to read it for myself, I would have. The only way I was able to withstand it was to speed it up almost so fast as to not be able to understand the words. The story of what a mother will endure for her child’s happiness is overpowering. Bettina had two great loves in her life. Her lover and her daughter. This story is a reminder of just how terrible living can be under the oppressive regime of a Communist/Fascist/Socialist country. We can only pray that because of stories like this help to remind us why our capitalistic society is so important to maintain, that future generations are free to read and express their opinions on matters just as I am doing here. It may be only a novel of fiction but the the history is truth. I’d recommend the kindle version.

Well Written

A well-executed drama and I really liked the plot and I found the characters interesting and well developed. I truly enjoyed the ending as it was messy and complicated but ultimately, ending in rainbows for most of the character.s

Definitely worth the time and investment.

A relatable and gutsy story

I like the attractiveness of the story, the historical fiction, the honesty and vulnerability of the characters. The author is courageous in her story telling.

beautifully written

a wonderful story about a time in east germany few have told about. a story not to be forgotten.

Very Moving!

Katrin Schumann did an excellent job with this book. The narrators delivered the story beautifully.

This was a book that kept driving me to continue reading with each chapter, and unfortunately not because of the pleasantries of it. I find it heartbreaking what people that lived through these horrific times went through. Whenever I read about that time period and it’s people I become so sad. I was so repulsed by Werner’s behavior toward Bettina that I had a difficult time with the book. I know he was a man that knew ridicule, and his history of that created insecurities which drove him to his hunger for power. He was bitter, and he claimed to love Bettina, but I didn’t see it. The price her and Peter paid for their love far exceeded their wrongs. Werner got a life second to none, in-spite of his horribleness. I had wished for a fairy tale ending for Bettina and Peter, and although they ended up together, the road to get there was far from an easy one. A must read for historical fiction lovers!

WOW

I did not expect to enjoy this story . I lived briefly in West Berlin in 1969 and can relate to the struggles of this tale

This Terrible Beauty provides excellent insight into East Germany

Goo love story told over a 20-year timeframe. Gives one a good idea as to the lives of ordinary Germans filling WW2.

What she could not leave behind

The story is classic-a woman escapes her unsatisfying marriage and stifling culture and sets out for the promise of freedom in America. But the cost of freedom is high, because Bettina’s husband is an ambitious Stasi bureaucrat in post-war East Germany who will have her arrested if she attempts to take her daughter with her.

And then there’s the lover she must abandon.

Bettina builds a life as an important photographer in 1960’s Chicago, but it doesn't bring the satisfaction she imagined. Haunted by anger and guilt, she finally takes action to find the two people she loved the most. (That’s all I’m saying….no spoilers here)

Bettina becomes more and more political as the novel progresses. The author deftly toggles between 1940's East Germany and late 1960's in Chicago. Katrin Shumann has a gift for interweaving multiple characters and eras and the later scenes in Germany were amongst my favorite.

For lovers of historical fiction, the richly detailed political and cultural world of cold war East Germany is fascinating to read, as is the art scene of late-60's Chicago.

The only cautionary note is that the narrator was difficult to get used to, but it was worth sticking with the book for the story.

Great plot, unusual setting and the ending was a surprise–not what I expected.