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The Inheritance of Beauty
Beauty, like truth, is enduring. But only one can set you free. The Inheritance of Beauty is a rich and enchanting story about 92-year-old George, forced to watch his beloved wife Maggie fade from Alzheimer's--until a stranger arrives at their nursing home to bring the tragic past crashing back.Maggie Black came of age in the lush, fragrant lowcountry of South Carolina--spending her days with her beloved brother and the childhood sweetheart she would grow up to marry. But when a stranger arrived on the train one summer, Maggie couldn't imagine the evil he would bring with him. And though she escaped with her life, the ramifications of that fateful summer would alter all of their lives forever.Now, some eighty years later, Maggie and her husband George are spending their remaining days in a nursing home, helpless as age slowly robs Maggie of her ability to communicate. When a mysterious package arrives, followed closely by a stranger whose identity haunts them, Maggie and George are hemmed in by a history they'd rather forget.As the truth reveals itself, George knows he must face the past and its lifetime of repercussions. It's the only way to free himself and his precious wife--if it's not too late. But George isn't sure how many lives were affected by the stranger in Levy . . . or why life must come full-circle now when he's running out of timeHaunting southern fiction told through alternating points of view in the present and 1929Includes discussion questions for book clubsAlso by Nicole Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, and Trouble the Water
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
29 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Seitz
13 books124 followersNicole Seitz is a South Carolina Lowcountry native, the author of seven critically acclaimed novels, and editor of a non-fiction anthology. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor's degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole is a speaker on writing, art, and faith; she's a painter and has illustrated the covers for her novels. She also taught art for many years at a local private school in the Charleston, South Carolina area, where she lives with her husband and two children. Nicole's latest release, The Cage-maker, is a Southern Gothic historical mystery based on discoveries she made while researching her own family history in New Orleans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
April 7, 2011
I feel like any words I say about this book will be so inadequate. It's just that books like this rarely cross my path, maybe because I don't go out of my way to read them. What kind of book is that? Part sadness, part pain, while also moving slowly, but deliberately. Then, when I get my hands on a book like this, it always ends up that I love it or hate it. Hardly does it fall somewhere in between.
The Inheritance of Beauty was a book that definitely fell on the "loved it" side of the equation. And even after I've put it down, I still can't put my finger on what captivated me so much about these characters. They're nothing spectacular. Nobody did anything that changed the world. They were just ordinary folk that were not far away from death's door. In my opinion, George was the main character of the story. He was like an open book; I always knew what was going through his mind. At times, he was complacent, other times a bit hateful, but at all times, he loved his sweet wife, Maggie, in a way that caused tears to come to my eyes. At one moment, he said, "I have loved Maggie since before I knew what love was. She is love to me. Without her, there is nothing for me here." Oh, to have a love that pure, that selfless from one person to another. That, indeed, is a most beautiful thing.
As I read more and more novels, I have come to a conclusion about something. Authors should always write about what they know. When I discover that a particular book is loosely based on real life events, I can't seem to put it down. Just knowing that this book was partially based on a photo of the author's grandmother, and how that photo had been a part of the history of her family, made this story so much more real. I felt like I was peaking into a diary, only to discover that their family wasn't much different than my own. We all have skeletons in our closets; it's just a matter of how much or how little we let them shape the rest of our lives.
I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to review this book as I doubt it would have ever crossed my path otherwise. This book had a little bit of a literary flair, which I'm not normally too crazy about, but it worked so well here. I can do nothing but give this book 5 stars, as well as a huge recommendation for people who love deep, and meaningful stories. I know that The Inheritance of Beauty will stay in my mind and heart for days to come, as I'm sure it will for many others.
**Many thanks to Thomas Nelson through the BookSneeze program for providing a copy for review.
The Inheritance of Beauty was a book that definitely fell on the "loved it" side of the equation. And even after I've put it down, I still can't put my finger on what captivated me so much about these characters. They're nothing spectacular. Nobody did anything that changed the world. They were just ordinary folk that were not far away from death's door. In my opinion, George was the main character of the story. He was like an open book; I always knew what was going through his mind. At times, he was complacent, other times a bit hateful, but at all times, he loved his sweet wife, Maggie, in a way that caused tears to come to my eyes. At one moment, he said, "I have loved Maggie since before I knew what love was. She is love to me. Without her, there is nothing for me here." Oh, to have a love that pure, that selfless from one person to another. That, indeed, is a most beautiful thing.
As I read more and more novels, I have come to a conclusion about something. Authors should always write about what they know. When I discover that a particular book is loosely based on real life events, I can't seem to put it down. Just knowing that this book was partially based on a photo of the author's grandmother, and how that photo had been a part of the history of her family, made this story so much more real. I felt like I was peaking into a diary, only to discover that their family wasn't much different than my own. We all have skeletons in our closets; it's just a matter of how much or how little we let them shape the rest of our lives.
I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to review this book as I doubt it would have ever crossed my path otherwise. This book had a little bit of a literary flair, which I'm not normally too crazy about, but it worked so well here. I can do nothing but give this book 5 stars, as well as a huge recommendation for people who love deep, and meaningful stories. I know that The Inheritance of Beauty will stay in my mind and heart for days to come, as I'm sure it will for many others.
**Many thanks to Thomas Nelson through the BookSneeze program for providing a copy for review.
February 8, 2011
Title: The Inheritance of Beauty
Author: Nicole Seitz
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
320 pages
As a granddaughter of a man with advanced Alzheimer's, I've sat across the table from him many times and been crushed by the visage of a back bent with age, eyes cloudy with cataracts, and hands trembling from over-exertion. My grandfather was a legend in his own right, dashingly handsome and charismatic beyond measure. And sadly, I only saw sparse vestiges of this throughout my lifetime. I've relied mostly on stories from relatives and my mother to cobble together my own personal portrait of this man.
Sometimes I wonder what he must have been like in his youth, fiery and full of the will to bend fate to suit his aims. Sometimes he lets hints slip--musings and regrets--and I stash them away for later consumption. This man is a mystery to me.
So, I appreciate a novel like The Inheritance of Beauty. A story that opens with the 92 yr George Jacobs who is living in a nursing home with his wife, Maggie. Having suffered several strokes in the last few years, Maggie has been rendered mute, and she is not always lucid. A man who still loves his wife with the intensity of youth, but the depth that comes with age, George is haunted by a series of traumatic events that were a defining moment for him and other residents of his hometown, including his wife. Though George is through with his past, his past is not through with him, which becomes apparent when a long lost stranger shows up at his nursing home after 80 yrs, as does a long lost portrait of his wife. What does this all mean? What can come of it? As George struggles to piece together old memories and new revelations, he also copes with the burden of a long kept secret that has been a source of much personal anguish.
The novel is told from alternating viewpoints: that of George, Maggie, and several other characters, from 1929, fast forwarding 80 some years. The suddent shift is a bit confusing, and may put off some readers. While there are some lovely passages, I was left wishing that it was more well written. There were themes that I also felt weren't explored thoroughly enough. The emphasis on beauty, and the blessing and curse it can become was something I wish had been developed more. I felt as if the biblical theme of the sins of the father struggled with theme of the dangers of beauty for the limelight, and won.
Still, I enjoyed the novel and immensely enjoyed my time with George Black. I do wish the other characters had been as finely wrought, and I can only hope that like Sue Grafton, Nicole Seitz's writing will improve with each novel she writes.
If you liked Secrets of the Divine Sisterhood or The Notebook, then I would recommend you read this one.
Some wonderful excerpts:
"I saw magic once, real magic, and there's something I've come to understand after all these years :magic can come from one of two places, up above or down below."
"No matter how much you want your beauty to stat hidden, people will go to great lengths to reveal it to the masses. But it's dangerous, beauty is. I've always known it. And it doesn't last. Just look at what happened to my mother."
"There are some things I guess we bury so we can get on with living. I don't think it's wrong, necessarily, just what we do to survive. It's the remembering part that's hard. Some people remember and some never have to. The blessed and the cursed."
* I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Author: Nicole Seitz
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
320 pages
As a granddaughter of a man with advanced Alzheimer's, I've sat across the table from him many times and been crushed by the visage of a back bent with age, eyes cloudy with cataracts, and hands trembling from over-exertion. My grandfather was a legend in his own right, dashingly handsome and charismatic beyond measure. And sadly, I only saw sparse vestiges of this throughout my lifetime. I've relied mostly on stories from relatives and my mother to cobble together my own personal portrait of this man.
Sometimes I wonder what he must have been like in his youth, fiery and full of the will to bend fate to suit his aims. Sometimes he lets hints slip--musings and regrets--and I stash them away for later consumption. This man is a mystery to me.
So, I appreciate a novel like The Inheritance of Beauty. A story that opens with the 92 yr George Jacobs who is living in a nursing home with his wife, Maggie. Having suffered several strokes in the last few years, Maggie has been rendered mute, and she is not always lucid. A man who still loves his wife with the intensity of youth, but the depth that comes with age, George is haunted by a series of traumatic events that were a defining moment for him and other residents of his hometown, including his wife. Though George is through with his past, his past is not through with him, which becomes apparent when a long lost stranger shows up at his nursing home after 80 yrs, as does a long lost portrait of his wife. What does this all mean? What can come of it? As George struggles to piece together old memories and new revelations, he also copes with the burden of a long kept secret that has been a source of much personal anguish.
The novel is told from alternating viewpoints: that of George, Maggie, and several other characters, from 1929, fast forwarding 80 some years. The suddent shift is a bit confusing, and may put off some readers. While there are some lovely passages, I was left wishing that it was more well written. There were themes that I also felt weren't explored thoroughly enough. The emphasis on beauty, and the blessing and curse it can become was something I wish had been developed more. I felt as if the biblical theme of the sins of the father struggled with theme of the dangers of beauty for the limelight, and won.
Still, I enjoyed the novel and immensely enjoyed my time with George Black. I do wish the other characters had been as finely wrought, and I can only hope that like Sue Grafton, Nicole Seitz's writing will improve with each novel she writes.
If you liked Secrets of the Divine Sisterhood or The Notebook, then I would recommend you read this one.
Some wonderful excerpts:
"I saw magic once, real magic, and there's something I've come to understand after all these years :magic can come from one of two places, up above or down below."
"No matter how much you want your beauty to stat hidden, people will go to great lengths to reveal it to the masses. But it's dangerous, beauty is. I've always known it. And it doesn't last. Just look at what happened to my mother."
"There are some things I guess we bury so we can get on with living. I don't think it's wrong, necessarily, just what we do to survive. It's the remembering part that's hard. Some people remember and some never have to. The blessed and the cursed."
* I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
March 30, 2011
Seventy five percent of this book was great. It's all about the interactions of four young people in North Carolina in 1929. Then, the author presents these same people as 90 year old residents in an assisted living situation. First the good. I think the author did a marvelous job of expressing the thoughts of elderly people. Because I have a parent in a nursing home, I spend a lot of time interacting with the residents. One thing is very clear to me. If you look beyond all of the wheel chairs, wrinkled skin, hunched shoulders, ect., you'll see young spirits whose bodies are failing them. However their spirits are in there struggling to be free. Author Nicole Seitz was able to give the reader many beautiful examples of this. She even gave one character, who had lost her ability to speak and function because of a stroke, a "voice and ability to reason", in her own head. I'd like to think that people who are still living, but appear lost to us because they can no longer interact with us are still "here" just trapped inside bodies which have become silent.
The not so good part. I did not like how the story turned towards the end. There were too many "chance happenings" and I could not make myself buy into them. So it appeared like the author was trying to tie up all the loose ends.
All that being said, I do think it's a very worthwhile read.
The not so good part. I did not like how the story turned towards the end. There were too many "chance happenings" and I could not make myself buy into them. So it appeared like the author was trying to tie up all the loose ends.
All that being said, I do think it's a very worthwhile read.
January 17, 2013
George and Maggie Jacobs are living in an old folk's home. Maggie cannot speak or control her body due to a stroke, and George wonders if she even recognizes him anymore. His loneliness causes him to reflect on their past, especially when they were children in a town called Levy. These reminisces are enhanced by a new man at the home. George hasn't seen Joe since he was ten years old, about eighty-years ago. Seeing that face recalls secrets he forgot about long ago.
This book is a quick read. The typeface is neat and appealing, as is the cover and the texture of the pages. (Die-hard book-lovers understand the importance of this.) The author breaks the story up into short sections, so there are plenty of places to pause, but I can't imagine wanting to. Almost every stop left me wanting more and the desire to read on was too irresistible.
The author does some clever things, like joining the ends and beginnings of chapters with a common phrase or thought. Reading the perspectives of several different people makes each character come to life and gives the story fullness.
The twists are interesting, although some of them are predictable, but this provides a bit of realism to a story filled with divine "coincidences" (Think Louis Sachar's Holes, for adults). Overall, this is an enjoyable novel.
This book is a quick read. The typeface is neat and appealing, as is the cover and the texture of the pages. (Die-hard book-lovers understand the importance of this.) The author breaks the story up into short sections, so there are plenty of places to pause, but I can't imagine wanting to. Almost every stop left me wanting more and the desire to read on was too irresistible.
The author does some clever things, like joining the ends and beginnings of chapters with a common phrase or thought. Reading the perspectives of several different people makes each character come to life and gives the story fullness.
The twists are interesting, although some of them are predictable, but this provides a bit of realism to a story filled with divine "coincidences" (Think Louis Sachar's Holes, for adults). Overall, this is an enjoyable novel.
April 14, 2011
I read The Inheritance of Beauty in two sittings. The story drew me in with its historic South Carolina Lowcountry embrace and wouldn't let me go until I emerged, both smiling and tearful, at the end of the story. "Inheritance" is reminiscent of Fried Green Tomatoes - high praise from me, as "Tomatoes" is one of my all-time favorite and beloved books.
I can't wait to discover more books from Nicole Seitz. I have a feeling I'll enjoy her other books every bit as much as this one (at least, I hope so!)
I can't wait to discover more books from Nicole Seitz. I have a feeling I'll enjoy her other books every bit as much as this one (at least, I hope so!)
June 27, 2018
A beautiful portrayal of aging-- when bodies grow old, but hearts and minds live in another time. Of family, loyalty, love, even when separated by time and distance. And, an equally beautiful tribute to my beloved Lowcountry of South Carolina.
October 5, 2013
I had high hopes when I started reading The Inheritance of Beauty by Nicole Seitz, published by Thomas Nelson. The story promised to be a bit of mystery, a bit of love, and a bit of bittersweet as the aged characters, George and Maggie, relived their past in memories. With the book published by Thomas Nelson, a Christian publishing powerhouse, I also expected a story that pointed to redemption through Christ.
George and Maggie reside in a nursing home. Maggie is surrendering to Alzheimer’s Disease and George, her adoring husband, can only stand idly by her side, supporting her where he can. One day, a new resident moves into the nursing home, upsetting the balance with his unusual ways. Soon after, a package arrives that causes further distress for George and Maggie.
The memories begin flowing. A mystery is revealed and solved. Heartaches are exposed and healed. Old friends are found and lost.
Overall, I liked the story. Written in a very casual, conversational manner, the story flowed fairly smoothly and the characters were interesting and fully fleshed out.
Unfortunately, though, the promise of a redemption through Christ never materialized. The book is full of feel-good spirituality without the substance of a life changing encounter with and a decision for Christ by any of the characters. The reader is left with a vague, “Well, they’ll all go to heaven, right?” feeling, but the stuff and substance of a relationship with Christ is never presented.
Three stars.
Full disclosure: I received The Inheritance of Beauty free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in return for a review. My thoughts are my own.
George and Maggie reside in a nursing home. Maggie is surrendering to Alzheimer’s Disease and George, her adoring husband, can only stand idly by her side, supporting her where he can. One day, a new resident moves into the nursing home, upsetting the balance with his unusual ways. Soon after, a package arrives that causes further distress for George and Maggie.
The memories begin flowing. A mystery is revealed and solved. Heartaches are exposed and healed. Old friends are found and lost.
Overall, I liked the story. Written in a very casual, conversational manner, the story flowed fairly smoothly and the characters were interesting and fully fleshed out.
Unfortunately, though, the promise of a redemption through Christ never materialized. The book is full of feel-good spirituality without the substance of a life changing encounter with and a decision for Christ by any of the characters. The reader is left with a vague, “Well, they’ll all go to heaven, right?” feeling, but the stuff and substance of a relationship with Christ is never presented.
Three stars.
Full disclosure: I received The Inheritance of Beauty free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in return for a review. My thoughts are my own.
December 26, 2015
This book was so well constructed that I've read the entire thing, in a Southern drawl, in my mind. I didn't even mind the 'I cain't swim' 'Lawd in heaven' and the 'Dangit' southern slang, that would normally drive a grammar Nazi like me insane. It was as if these characters were whispering their stories in my ear. It's a gorgeously rendered tale of the consequences of family secrets, and the redemption that can only ever come, when the truth finally sees the light of day. Of the choices we make to protect those we love. It is also an exploration of the value of life - both for the young, and the very old, who seemingly ate mo longer connecting with us in our world - but who may, in fact, still be very much 'alive inside'. And perhaps most importantly, a book to remind us, that the most precious beauty is revealed by how we love our way through this life. I would tag this one 'a gentle gem'.
September 18, 2019
Couldn’t stop reading!!! Small town comfort meets evil!!
March 3, 2011
This was a very interesting novel. I enjoyed the concept of beginning the story at the end of these characters lives. They are all old, forgetful and dying -aren't we all - but they are connected from childhood. This story weaves their childhood into their current lives and manages to tell a warm story of love, family and forgiveness.Not something I would generally pick up, yet I am glad I had the opportunity to read this.
June 16, 2011
I would really rate this book as a 3 1/2 stars if possible. I think the author did an excellent job of portraying the reality of an aging body housing the mind and spirit of who that person was and still is.
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September 30, 2015I really, really liked this one. It was sad and heartbreaking at times, but with redemption and closure that made it all the more beautiful. I'll definitely be reading more from Nicole Seitz.
July 6, 2011
This was a great read with a mysterious twist as well as supernatural. I enjoyed it!
October 24, 2012
Loved this book. I was so sad at the end. I miss Maggie!
March 30, 2021
Rating this book was hard. I very much liked the build-up, the character development, and the stories told through Magnolia, George, and Annie. The relationship between Magnolia and George was beautiful and painful, particularly though George's efforts and doubts about getting through to her.
The story of the childhood friendships was wonderful as well. Being the one girl amidst the group of boys and the intense connection with her older brother was well-told.
The resolutions from the time Ash left were not as satisfying. It was hard enough believing that he had to leave, but the reasons for him to not return were even less believable. The introduction of his son was unnecessary and the set-up for him to meet his grandparents just inexplicable.
It would have been just fine to let the explanation of the photograph untold. It became bigger than life, and would have still carried some depth to the characters, without the simple and shallow actual happening.
I loved the character of Annie, and would wish that all aged in care homes would be so blessed to be in her care.
The story of the childhood friendships was wonderful as well. Being the one girl amidst the group of boys and the intense connection with her older brother was well-told.
The resolutions from the time Ash left were not as satisfying. It was hard enough believing that he had to leave, but the reasons for him to not return were even less believable. The introduction of his son was unnecessary and the set-up for him to meet his grandparents just inexplicable.
It would have been just fine to let the explanation of the photograph untold. It became bigger than life, and would have still carried some depth to the characters, without the simple and shallow actual happening.
I loved the character of Annie, and would wish that all aged in care homes would be so blessed to be in her care.
December 30, 2016
I thought many aspects of this book were excellent---especially the way the author depicts the thoughts and feelings of elderly people. Having worked in a nursing home before, I felt that her descriptions were very accurate. However, I struggled some with the part of the book dealing with the past of Charles, Maggie, Ash, and Joe. A tragedy had taken place when Maggie and Ash were children and they were permanently separated at that time. In the last part of the book, the reader finds out more of what happened at the time of that tragic event. However, the ending seemed rushed and not as well written.
August 26, 2021
Spoiler here. So many loose ends..a magician who adopts a boy in New Orleans and they travel to a small town to get revenge on a woman by taken her son and magician ends up killing the moonshiner. Then 80 years later the characters all meet up again somehow in a nursing home. Then there’s this mysterious house fire and then the boys leave with the magician on the train and why was this even allowed. Sorry it’s too confusing. Also The relationship between the brother and sister was a little too much. There’s too much affection and love and pointing out her beauty, it was almost like He was in love with her. I rolled my eyes multiple times reading this.
October 26, 2017
Maggie, once so full of life, can no longer voice her thoughts - but we get to read them. She and her husband, George, are in their early 90s in a care center together. The story moves back and forth from the present to 1929 when they were young in Levy, South Carolina. When a package arrives, and then letters a few days later, the past secrets appear slowly and come back full strength with a trip home.
This is a story of truth and facing the past and its "lifetime of repercussions." It's a beautifully written story with a few surprises that made me smile.
This is a story of truth and facing the past and its "lifetime of repercussions." It's a beautifully written story with a few surprises that made me smile.
June 23, 2025
Spending your remaining years in a nursing home and becoming more and more helpless and dependent on others, this story is about facing the past and if you can ever really go back home. Are we really thankful enough for the people and places in our lives? Time moves so fast and yet also so slow. Good book, although my mother did not like it, could it be because of her age? Why do some people live so long and other innocent young lives end so soon? Why is beauty both a blessing and a curse? It was an interesting and thought provoking book.
April 17, 2020
This was one of the most weirdly convoluted books I've ever run across. The characters were interesting, but....Don't think I'd ever recommend it to anyone, and I know I'd never seek out any of the author's other books.
August 18, 2025
This one caught me off guard sent me deep into contemplation about what it will be like to be sooo old, and also thoughts about dad and what ifs and loss of eras of life etc. Especially when I began to read it. It kept me engaged otherwise as well, but not necessarily excellent overall.
January 29, 2018
Great.
I've long known older people have wonderful stories to tell.
She weaves their stories so well.
This book was a joy to read.
I've long known older people have wonderful stories to tell.
She weaves their stories so well.
This book was a joy to read.
April 28, 2019
Beautiful book. Reflections of their young lives while living in an old age home.
June 10, 2019
3.5 stars
July 4, 2019
One of my faves
September 1, 2019
A good story. Bit whimsical, as all good stories should be.
April 30, 2020
This book was a mystery that kept me guessing until it unfolded at the end. It also had a very sweet love story and stories of friendship and also great pain. I loved it.
September 7, 2023
2.5 stars
January 16, 2025
What a wonderful story. Beautiful, sad, loving. Just a great read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews