What do you think?
Rate this book
All Is Beauty Now
Set against the seductive world of 1960s Rio de Janeiro, an exquisite debut novel about family secrets, divided loyalties, and what we're willing to do to save ourselves.
This mesmerizing first novel follows a glamorous family as they prepare to leave the seeming paradise of Brazil for Canada in the wake to the mysterious disappearance -- and presumed drowning -- of their eldest daughter a year earlier. As the novel moves back and forth between the members of the Maurer family, we are taken into the heart of a family whose beauty and charm belie a more troubling reality.
We meet the family's brilliant and charismatic father, whose bipolar extremes are becoming increasingly disturbing; his long-suffering wife, who once had a brief affair that proves to have shattering consequences for the family she swore to protect; their two remaining daughters, both on the brink of understanding the darker currents that run in their once-proud family; and the lost daughter herself, a beautiful young woman undone by her own grand delusions.
Taking readers from the golden beaches of Rio to the poverty of its fishing villages, from the glamour of the legendary Copacabana Club to the austerity of a remote convent, this revelatory novel takes us into the soul of a family already living in the shadow of loss and now poised to leave behind everything they've ever known, if only they could make peace with the past.
This mesmerizing first novel follows a glamorous family as they prepare to leave the seeming paradise of Brazil for Canada in the wake to the mysterious disappearance -- and presumed drowning -- of their eldest daughter a year earlier. As the novel moves back and forth between the members of the Maurer family, we are taken into the heart of a family whose beauty and charm belie a more troubling reality.
We meet the family's brilliant and charismatic father, whose bipolar extremes are becoming increasingly disturbing; his long-suffering wife, who once had a brief affair that proves to have shattering consequences for the family she swore to protect; their two remaining daughters, both on the brink of understanding the darker currents that run in their once-proud family; and the lost daughter herself, a beautiful young woman undone by her own grand delusions.
Taking readers from the golden beaches of Rio to the poverty of its fishing villages, from the glamour of the legendary Copacabana Club to the austerity of a remote convent, this revelatory novel takes us into the soul of a family already living in the shadow of loss and now poised to leave behind everything they've ever known, if only they could make peace with the past.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2017
19 people are currently reading
2064 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
September 28, 2017
With luscious stylistic prose, Sarah Faber, unwinds the truth behind the mystery of when Luiza- oldest daughter of the Maurer family - disappears in broad daylight after walking into the water at a crowded beach in Brazil in 1962.
I was curious as to why *1962*. I’m still not sure of the years significance, but I did learn that Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia 3 to 1 win in the 1962 FIFA World Cup final in Chile and wins its 2nd FIFA World Cup.
“All is Beautiful”.....
Is told from the perspective taut family members....Hugo & Dora ( parents), and the surviving younger sisters Magda and Evie.
For a short time - I thought that perhaps this novel might have super-natural elements floating about - or flying overhead - as there was mention of angels - and
*seraph’s*.....[which is a word I was not familiar with].....but soon learned is a type of celestial or heavenly being. Tradition places seraphim the highest rank in Christian angelic hierarchy and fifth rank of the ten in Jewish angelic hierarchy.
However - the story doesn’t continue to elaborate too much on the afterlife — but there are a few opinions brought forth. The daughters especially observe everything with mercilessly keen eyes.
This bourgeois family is all suffering. Hugo is suffering with mental illness ....gradually getting worse. Dora is dealing with her own perpetrations that affect everyone in her family - and both daughters have definitely changed since Luiza vanished.
I thought the beginning and ending of Sarah’s novel was very strong....but the plot itself felt a ‘little’ thin.....
yet it didn’t bother me because the delicious prose was satisfying in itself.
Dora was charmed by a celebration ( surprise) drink .......
“a ridiculous pink cocktail poured into a perversely curved glass, topped by a kebab orange segments, strawberries, maraschino cherries, and spiraling rings of lime”.
“She studies him closely, maybe for the first time in months, and sees his face has somehow contracted: deeper lines, new hollows. Now, with an awkward, jerky movement, he flings the flowers into the surf. They land just a foot or so in front of him, then catch in the sand, carried ashore by an object little wave. If they were in a film, he would gather up the wet stalks, his tie flapping behind him in the breeze, and walk into the waves fully dressed”.
Themes include Secrets- lies - mental illness - grief - and love - ( always love).
I’m inspire with Sarah’s first novel which is achingly rendered with eloquence.
A special thanks for the ‘surprise gift’ of this gorgeous hardcopy from Little Brown and Company. Very sweet!!! Love it!!!
I was curious as to why *1962*. I’m still not sure of the years significance, but I did learn that Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia 3 to 1 win in the 1962 FIFA World Cup final in Chile and wins its 2nd FIFA World Cup.
“All is Beautiful”.....
Is told from the perspective taut family members....Hugo & Dora ( parents), and the surviving younger sisters Magda and Evie.
For a short time - I thought that perhaps this novel might have super-natural elements floating about - or flying overhead - as there was mention of angels - and
*seraph’s*.....[which is a word I was not familiar with].....but soon learned is a type of celestial or heavenly being. Tradition places seraphim the highest rank in Christian angelic hierarchy and fifth rank of the ten in Jewish angelic hierarchy.
However - the story doesn’t continue to elaborate too much on the afterlife — but there are a few opinions brought forth. The daughters especially observe everything with mercilessly keen eyes.
This bourgeois family is all suffering. Hugo is suffering with mental illness ....gradually getting worse. Dora is dealing with her own perpetrations that affect everyone in her family - and both daughters have definitely changed since Luiza vanished.
I thought the beginning and ending of Sarah’s novel was very strong....but the plot itself felt a ‘little’ thin.....
yet it didn’t bother me because the delicious prose was satisfying in itself.
Dora was charmed by a celebration ( surprise) drink .......
“a ridiculous pink cocktail poured into a perversely curved glass, topped by a kebab orange segments, strawberries, maraschino cherries, and spiraling rings of lime”.
“She studies him closely, maybe for the first time in months, and sees his face has somehow contracted: deeper lines, new hollows. Now, with an awkward, jerky movement, he flings the flowers into the surf. They land just a foot or so in front of him, then catch in the sand, carried ashore by an object little wave. If they were in a film, he would gather up the wet stalks, his tie flapping behind him in the breeze, and walk into the waves fully dressed”.
Themes include Secrets- lies - mental illness - grief - and love - ( always love).
I’m inspire with Sarah’s first novel which is achingly rendered with eloquence.
A special thanks for the ‘surprise gift’ of this gorgeous hardcopy from Little Brown and Company. Very sweet!!! Love it!!!
October 1, 2017
Rio, 1963, a privileged family, trying to deal with the father's worsening mood swings, their declining fortune, a move to Canada, where there is hope for better and cheaper treatment, is brought to their knees by the disappearance of their eldest daughter. Luiza, a strong swimmer, is at the beach with her two younger sisters, when she decides to go for a swim, a swim from which she does not return.
Narrowly focused, we see the detrimental effects of not only mental illness on the family, but the unaccepted loss of a family member. In back stories we learn where the relationships between family members began, the chaos of living with a man with horrible highs and lows. How dangerous at times, how conflicted the feelings were for each other. How they are each coping, or not with the loss of Luiza. This book does a good job with this, it is very well written, but very slowly paced and introspective, often repetitive. Frustrating at times, because of this narrow focus, and the slow moving unveiling of the plot. Hence, it was good but could have been better.
ARC from Netgalley.
Narrowly focused, we see the detrimental effects of not only mental illness on the family, but the unaccepted loss of a family member. In back stories we learn where the relationships between family members began, the chaos of living with a man with horrible highs and lows. How dangerous at times, how conflicted the feelings were for each other. How they are each coping, or not with the loss of Luiza. This book does a good job with this, it is very well written, but very slowly paced and introspective, often repetitive. Frustrating at times, because of this narrow focus, and the slow moving unveiling of the plot. Hence, it was good but could have been better.
ARC from Netgalley.
July 5, 2017
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this gorgeous novel. I can't remember the last time I read a book where every page had a turn of phrase that took my breath away. And alongside that are a plot and a cast of characters that will stay with you long after you've finished reading. Not to be missed. I would not be surprised if this novel cleaned up once awards season rolls around.
October 17, 2017
I don't know how to describe this beautiful, beautiful book. The prose is so lush, the inner thoughts of the characters so intense, it really was exhausting, but in a wonderful way.
The story is simple enough: a wealthy family in Brazil must navigate the rough waters of the father's bipolar mental illness, while planning a move to Canada for better health care. The wife and three daughters are all in his thrall to some extent, but the oldest daughter Luiza suffers the most, having been designated as his caregiver from a young age. At 20, just weeks before their scheduled departure for Canada, she disappears while swimming at a familiar beach.
What happens from there isn't as important as the way it is written. Such a lush voice will hopefully result in another wonderful book in the future.
The story is simple enough: a wealthy family in Brazil must navigate the rough waters of the father's bipolar mental illness, while planning a move to Canada for better health care. The wife and three daughters are all in his thrall to some extent, but the oldest daughter Luiza suffers the most, having been designated as his caregiver from a young age. At 20, just weeks before their scheduled departure for Canada, she disappears while swimming at a familiar beach.
What happens from there isn't as important as the way it is written. Such a lush voice will hopefully result in another wonderful book in the future.
July 14, 2017
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
If she didn’t have to be his echo. What would it be like if she wasn’t tethered to him, always calculating his distance from earth’s flat surfaces, predicting when he might next wheel away or plummet. Then retrieving him, reviving him.
This is a heartbreaking story, as a family decides to leave the lush freedom of Brazil in the 1960’s for the restricting skin of Canada after the drowning of their eldest daughter, each family member unravels. Without a body, how can anyone accept the vanishing of Luiza, their fragile, beautiful girl? In the wake of tragedy, the allure of the Maurer family that captivated everyone, locals and friends alike, turns bitter. Luiza was an ‘odd girl’, and patriarch Hugo- Hugo and his madness, that excessive lust for life fatiguing others- it was bound to come crashing down. They aren’t so special in the end! His wife Dora, the great beauty, together they were the admired, passionate couple but beneath their pride, Hugo’s mental illness, his breakdowns coming and going like storms have been washing away the foundation of their glorious lives. The children too young or too tormented to comprehend the ruptures. That this paradise has been a place Hugo’s emotional nature is accepted, it may also have been feeding his boundless wildness. A change of environment is needed, a place with more stability, regardless of how restraining it will be on Hugo.
Luiza has found herself caught in the waves of her father’s mania, how much better he is when not dulled by pills and treatments. Who is the real Hugo? Is it her mother’s fault, trying to fix the very things about her father that makes him a bright sun in the world? Luiza is Hugo’s girl, she too has a storm inside of her both terrifying and mesmerizing. Dora is the true head of the family, keeping Hugo’s chaos contained, but blind to the effects on her daughters. Evie’s veil of youth is thinning, she is beginning to see the darkness overtaking her family, desperate to understand the secrets her naive mind can’t make sense of. Broken by the loss of her sister, both parents unavailable, outsiders interfering and taking her mother away when she and her father need her most. The house is divided and half packed, the Maurer family is in a self-imposed purgatory. Will they ever leave this paradise and the horror of everything that happened? Will they dig up Luiza’s secrets? How are her last days tied to her mother’s deceptions?
This is an interesting story, because on the one hand it exposes the heartbreaking reality of mental illness on an entire family, not simply the ugly side but the beauty and enchantment of it. Hugo and Dora’s love is deep, abiding but his illness asks much of Dora, and she is a woman with her own hungry needs. Dora’s affair in the past has punishing consequences, and there is nothing just about it. Hugo knows what life with him is like, but he cannot change who he is, but lord he tries! He has always been determined to be solid, better, to return whole to his beloved. The reader is privy to Hugo’s thoughts about his Bipolar disorder, which is important as much as those trying to hold him up. There is a seductive power in mania- the unbridled energy, the brilliance that makes it so appealing but too it is toxic in the destructive forces on innocence. Life, such as this, can also be a prison. Sometimes amputation from the family is the only form of escape. Love can be a destructive force, even when it doesn’t mean to be. A heartbreaking novel about mental illness and a family scrambling to pull themselves back together.
Publication Date: August 8, 2017
Little, Brown and Company
If she didn’t have to be his echo. What would it be like if she wasn’t tethered to him, always calculating his distance from earth’s flat surfaces, predicting when he might next wheel away or plummet. Then retrieving him, reviving him.
This is a heartbreaking story, as a family decides to leave the lush freedom of Brazil in the 1960’s for the restricting skin of Canada after the drowning of their eldest daughter, each family member unravels. Without a body, how can anyone accept the vanishing of Luiza, their fragile, beautiful girl? In the wake of tragedy, the allure of the Maurer family that captivated everyone, locals and friends alike, turns bitter. Luiza was an ‘odd girl’, and patriarch Hugo- Hugo and his madness, that excessive lust for life fatiguing others- it was bound to come crashing down. They aren’t so special in the end! His wife Dora, the great beauty, together they were the admired, passionate couple but beneath their pride, Hugo’s mental illness, his breakdowns coming and going like storms have been washing away the foundation of their glorious lives. The children too young or too tormented to comprehend the ruptures. That this paradise has been a place Hugo’s emotional nature is accepted, it may also have been feeding his boundless wildness. A change of environment is needed, a place with more stability, regardless of how restraining it will be on Hugo.
Luiza has found herself caught in the waves of her father’s mania, how much better he is when not dulled by pills and treatments. Who is the real Hugo? Is it her mother’s fault, trying to fix the very things about her father that makes him a bright sun in the world? Luiza is Hugo’s girl, she too has a storm inside of her both terrifying and mesmerizing. Dora is the true head of the family, keeping Hugo’s chaos contained, but blind to the effects on her daughters. Evie’s veil of youth is thinning, she is beginning to see the darkness overtaking her family, desperate to understand the secrets her naive mind can’t make sense of. Broken by the loss of her sister, both parents unavailable, outsiders interfering and taking her mother away when she and her father need her most. The house is divided and half packed, the Maurer family is in a self-imposed purgatory. Will they ever leave this paradise and the horror of everything that happened? Will they dig up Luiza’s secrets? How are her last days tied to her mother’s deceptions?
This is an interesting story, because on the one hand it exposes the heartbreaking reality of mental illness on an entire family, not simply the ugly side but the beauty and enchantment of it. Hugo and Dora’s love is deep, abiding but his illness asks much of Dora, and she is a woman with her own hungry needs. Dora’s affair in the past has punishing consequences, and there is nothing just about it. Hugo knows what life with him is like, but he cannot change who he is, but lord he tries! He has always been determined to be solid, better, to return whole to his beloved. The reader is privy to Hugo’s thoughts about his Bipolar disorder, which is important as much as those trying to hold him up. There is a seductive power in mania- the unbridled energy, the brilliance that makes it so appealing but too it is toxic in the destructive forces on innocence. Life, such as this, can also be a prison. Sometimes amputation from the family is the only form of escape. Love can be a destructive force, even when it doesn’t mean to be. A heartbreaking novel about mental illness and a family scrambling to pull themselves back together.
Publication Date: August 8, 2017
Little, Brown and Company
August 9, 2017
You can also find this review at booksbestfriendblog.wordpress.com/201...
Note: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Devastating and beautiful. Reading this book felt like lifting a curtain on a chaotic family dynamic, pulled into the dazzling contact highs and dark, chaotic lows that drag you under. The lush, Brazilian setting perfectly mirrors the family's story: the bright, colorful and lively energy followed by the dark seas of depression.
All Is Beauty Now tells the tale of the Maurer family, expats in 1960's Brazil, as they deal with the aftermath of their eldest daughter's disappearance and presumed drowning. Just before their move to Canada for cheaper healthcare for their bipolar father Hugo, Luiza takes the two youngest daughters to the beach and never comes back from a swim. After delaying their move for a year in hope of finding some closure on Luiza's presumed death, Dora now struggles to get her family ready for the trip while coming to terms with how she failed her daughter.
While the Maurer family tries to keep up a respectable facade in public, they live in fear of Hugo's condition. The very thing that made Dora fall in love with him, his exuberant highs, are followed deep lows. As both the highs grow and lows deepen, the plateaus between them shrink and Dora spends most days holding her breath until the other shoe drops. Trying to be there for the father she admires, Luiza became his nurse and helper while refusing to see his condition as an illness. She views it as an essential part of him. While Hugo has to live with the knowledge of what his condition does to his family, Dora has to come to terms with her failure to protect Luiza from the chaos it caused.
I loved how the author portrays the dangers of romanticizing mental illness. Too many books just tell Luiza's side of the story,. She viewed Hugo's manic episodes as someone being truly alive, more alive than the ordinary, thoughtless average Joe just following the crowd can ever hope to be. If you view it that way, it's almost worth the depressive lows that incapacitate Hugo for weeks. Dora shows that it really is an illness that needs to be treated. He is not his illness, and he will still Hugo Maurer even if he undergoes treatment.
Luisa also infuriated me by how seriously she took everything, as if every decision was a matter of life or death. That must have been a side-affect of being forced to care for her father at such a young age. Everything probably did seem that serious and pressing, every decision life altering.
I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a compassionate description of a family's struggles and secrets or the evocative descriptions of 1960's Rio de Janeiro.
Note: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Devastating and beautiful. Reading this book felt like lifting a curtain on a chaotic family dynamic, pulled into the dazzling contact highs and dark, chaotic lows that drag you under. The lush, Brazilian setting perfectly mirrors the family's story: the bright, colorful and lively energy followed by the dark seas of depression.
All Is Beauty Now tells the tale of the Maurer family, expats in 1960's Brazil, as they deal with the aftermath of their eldest daughter's disappearance and presumed drowning. Just before their move to Canada for cheaper healthcare for their bipolar father Hugo, Luiza takes the two youngest daughters to the beach and never comes back from a swim. After delaying their move for a year in hope of finding some closure on Luiza's presumed death, Dora now struggles to get her family ready for the trip while coming to terms with how she failed her daughter.
While the Maurer family tries to keep up a respectable facade in public, they live in fear of Hugo's condition. The very thing that made Dora fall in love with him, his exuberant highs, are followed deep lows. As both the highs grow and lows deepen, the plateaus between them shrink and Dora spends most days holding her breath until the other shoe drops. Trying to be there for the father she admires, Luiza became his nurse and helper while refusing to see his condition as an illness. She views it as an essential part of him. While Hugo has to live with the knowledge of what his condition does to his family, Dora has to come to terms with her failure to protect Luiza from the chaos it caused.
I loved how the author portrays the dangers of romanticizing mental illness. Too many books just tell Luiza's side of the story,. She viewed Hugo's manic episodes as someone being truly alive, more alive than the ordinary, thoughtless average Joe just following the crowd can ever hope to be. If you view it that way, it's almost worth the depressive lows that incapacitate Hugo for weeks. Dora shows that it really is an illness that needs to be treated. He is not his illness, and he will still Hugo Maurer even if he undergoes treatment.
Luisa also infuriated me by how seriously she took everything, as if every decision was a matter of life or death. That must have been a side-affect of being forced to care for her father at such a young age. Everything probably did seem that serious and pressing, every decision life altering.
I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a compassionate description of a family's struggles and secrets or the evocative descriptions of 1960's Rio de Janeiro.
March 26, 2023
Character driven story. First read with this author, will definitely read more.
August 24, 2017
Won in the First Reads giveaway.
Very well written and complex characters. My favourite chapters were from Evie's POV and the descriptions of Carnival were very good. I will admit, I wouldn't have signed up for the book if I had known it was about white Brazilians. I didn't even know about the Confederados thing, that's messed up.
I think some more humour could have been injected into the story. Not to lighten up, but to humanize the characters more. Luiza's chapters were a bit of a slog at first, but her last two were great.
Very well written and complex characters. My favourite chapters were from Evie's POV and the descriptions of Carnival were very good. I will admit, I wouldn't have signed up for the book if I had known it was about white Brazilians. I didn't even know about the Confederados thing, that's messed up.
I think some more humour could have been injected into the story. Not to lighten up, but to humanize the characters more. Luiza's chapters were a bit of a slog at first, but her last two were great.
August 20, 2017
Goodreads Giveaway
Well written, suspenseful, excellent sense of time and place, good family dynamics. Some readers might find the mystery plot line a little frustrating, because of the time spent on place and characterization, but those are the things I look for so had no problem with it. I do have one big question about the way things went that accounts for the missing star, but am not going to give it away.
Well written, suspenseful, excellent sense of time and place, good family dynamics. Some readers might find the mystery plot line a little frustrating, because of the time spent on place and characterization, but those are the things I look for so had no problem with it. I do have one big question about the way things went that accounts for the missing star, but am not going to give it away.
August 10, 2017
I had a free copy of this book for an honest review. This book is set in the early 1960's in Brazil. Hugo, the patriarch of the family suffers from bipolar disorder. Since this takes place in the 1960's there are fewer treatments and a lack of understanding for this condition and that plays a factor in the book. It seems like every character in this book could use some sort of therapy for psychiatric conditions. I found I couldn't really like any of the characters. The family had so much dysfunction and it was hard to see how they were going to repair any of this and move forward. I found that discouraging for all the characters. The book is very descriptive - too much for my liking.
December 30, 2019
I read 100 pages. I tried. I really did but this story is not for me.
July 28, 2017
Please read all of my reviews at http://ultraviolentlit.blogspot.ca!
In this debut novel by Canadian author Sarah Faber, the setting is the lush and vibrant landscape of 1960s Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From the glamorous wealth of the Copacabana Club to the squalor of the neighbouring fishing villages, the contradictions of Brazil come brilliantly to life. The novel follows the privileged Maurer family as they prepare to leave sunny Rio for the cooler climate of Canada. However, as the date of departure approaches, one family member suddenly disappears without explanation.
Hugo and Dora Maurer have three daughters, but it is their oldest, Luiza, who is known for her ethereal beauty. One day, while at the beach with her younger sisters, Luiza goes out for a swim and never returns. Luiza is presumed drowned and, although no body is ever discovered, a funeral is held for the young woman. The Maurers stay in Rio for another year after her disappearance, but finally begin once again to prepare to leave Brazil.
Luiza’s father Hugo is a brilliant and charismatic man who is also bipolar – he suffers from thrilling highs and dark lows. Luiza has always been expected to care for her father, and yet she doesn’t resent him – instead, she idolizes his creativity and intelligence, and resents her mother for trying to keep him medicated. As a Canadian citizen, Hugo will receive free health care in Canada, which is why Dora is pushing to return there. However, Hugo and the girls wish to stay in Rio, where Hugo’s extreme moods are accepted and even encouraged in some ways.
Dora has always been loyal to her mercurial husband, although she once had an affair that still haunts her – and her family – in unexpected ways. The younger sisters, Evie and Magda, don’t always understand what is going on around them, yet they are still affected by the dark moods and ominous feelings that surround them. In the shadow of the loss of Luiza, the entire family struggles to move forward and make peace with the past. However, when Dora learns that there may be a way to find out more about her daughter’s final days, she embarks on her own journey and leaves the remaining family behind.
The flashbacks to Luiza’s last months are told in alternating points of view, allowing each family member to express themselves – and all the characters, including the children, are captured extremely well. All is Beauty Now explores the ugly reality of mental illness, and the price we pay for loving a person who struggles with it. This is a dark, intense story filled with lush, beautiful language, and I look forward to whatever Faber writes next.
I received this book from McClelland & Stewart and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In this debut novel by Canadian author Sarah Faber, the setting is the lush and vibrant landscape of 1960s Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From the glamorous wealth of the Copacabana Club to the squalor of the neighbouring fishing villages, the contradictions of Brazil come brilliantly to life. The novel follows the privileged Maurer family as they prepare to leave sunny Rio for the cooler climate of Canada. However, as the date of departure approaches, one family member suddenly disappears without explanation.
Hugo and Dora Maurer have three daughters, but it is their oldest, Luiza, who is known for her ethereal beauty. One day, while at the beach with her younger sisters, Luiza goes out for a swim and never returns. Luiza is presumed drowned and, although no body is ever discovered, a funeral is held for the young woman. The Maurers stay in Rio for another year after her disappearance, but finally begin once again to prepare to leave Brazil.
Luiza’s father Hugo is a brilliant and charismatic man who is also bipolar – he suffers from thrilling highs and dark lows. Luiza has always been expected to care for her father, and yet she doesn’t resent him – instead, she idolizes his creativity and intelligence, and resents her mother for trying to keep him medicated. As a Canadian citizen, Hugo will receive free health care in Canada, which is why Dora is pushing to return there. However, Hugo and the girls wish to stay in Rio, where Hugo’s extreme moods are accepted and even encouraged in some ways.
Dora has always been loyal to her mercurial husband, although she once had an affair that still haunts her – and her family – in unexpected ways. The younger sisters, Evie and Magda, don’t always understand what is going on around them, yet they are still affected by the dark moods and ominous feelings that surround them. In the shadow of the loss of Luiza, the entire family struggles to move forward and make peace with the past. However, when Dora learns that there may be a way to find out more about her daughter’s final days, she embarks on her own journey and leaves the remaining family behind.
The flashbacks to Luiza’s last months are told in alternating points of view, allowing each family member to express themselves – and all the characters, including the children, are captured extremely well. All is Beauty Now explores the ugly reality of mental illness, and the price we pay for loving a person who struggles with it. This is a dark, intense story filled with lush, beautiful language, and I look forward to whatever Faber writes next.
I received this book from McClelland & Stewart and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2017
I felt like it took me forever to read this book. I could usually blow through 350 pages in a few days but this took me a whole week! It wasn't a struggle to read in any way but it's just so dense, both the writing and the story, that I read really slowly and only got through 50 pages a day. I guess I needed time to digest. It's beautifully written and I'm surprised this is the author's debut novel because it seems very mature and accomplished. The story was fascinating and completely engaging. There is an underlying mystery that flavours the entire story. The resolution of the mystery was entirely unexpected and just awesome!
One of the major issues in All Is Beauty Now is the patriarch's bipolar disorder and it's impact on his family. The story is set in the 1960's and treatments for mental illness were experimental and often harmful. It was tragic that such a brilliant, vibrant man during his high periods was brought so low during his low periods and no one seemed able to help him.
The story takes place in Rio de Janeiro and it was so vividly brought to life that it made me want to visit! The descriptions of the flowers and beaches was detailed and it all felt very real. Of course this story is set in the 60's and the characters bemoan that Brazil isn't as perfect as it used to be in the past, so I'm betting the Rio described doesn't exist anymore.
I also learned some interesting history that I knew nothing about before reading this book. I had never really thought about what happened to American Confederate soldiers and their families after they lost the Civil War. I just assumed they adapted to the change but apparently many fled rather than submit to the North. Some ended up in Brazil where they became wealthy from things such as shipping and diamond mines. This mother of this family is the descendant of these Confederates and so the family is very wealthy and lives in a heavily protected mansion. They mostly live a life of leisure with maids and drivers while most of Brazil is very poor. The contrast is startling and I'm sad to say that I don't think very much has changed.
This book was full of food for thought and I loved the mystery and it's conclusion. The characters were very well fleshed out and the setting was realistic enough to make me want to be in Brazil. I enjoyed the story very much and took my time with it. It's not a tale to be rushed through!
I received this book for free through a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway but this has not influenced my review in any way.
One of the major issues in All Is Beauty Now is the patriarch's bipolar disorder and it's impact on his family. The story is set in the 1960's and treatments for mental illness were experimental and often harmful. It was tragic that such a brilliant, vibrant man during his high periods was brought so low during his low periods and no one seemed able to help him.
The story takes place in Rio de Janeiro and it was so vividly brought to life that it made me want to visit! The descriptions of the flowers and beaches was detailed and it all felt very real. Of course this story is set in the 60's and the characters bemoan that Brazil isn't as perfect as it used to be in the past, so I'm betting the Rio described doesn't exist anymore.
I also learned some interesting history that I knew nothing about before reading this book. I had never really thought about what happened to American Confederate soldiers and their families after they lost the Civil War. I just assumed they adapted to the change but apparently many fled rather than submit to the North. Some ended up in Brazil where they became wealthy from things such as shipping and diamond mines. This mother of this family is the descendant of these Confederates and so the family is very wealthy and lives in a heavily protected mansion. They mostly live a life of leisure with maids and drivers while most of Brazil is very poor. The contrast is startling and I'm sad to say that I don't think very much has changed.
This book was full of food for thought and I loved the mystery and it's conclusion. The characters were very well fleshed out and the setting was realistic enough to make me want to be in Brazil. I enjoyed the story very much and took my time with it. It's not a tale to be rushed through!
I received this book for free through a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway but this has not influenced my review in any way.
August 15, 2017
DNF at 67%
I won an ARC of this book through a Goodreads contest and I was so excited to read this book, I picked it up the day it was delivered. As interesting as the synopsis sounded, it did not take me long to realize that there was something about this story that wasn't gripping me. It's not that I hated it, but I was hoping for so much more than it gave me. I take great pains to think that I am putting down this book not having finished it but I just do not feel invested in the story or characters.
All Beauty is Now is the story of a family unraveling after the disappearance and assumed drowning of the eldest daughter, Luiza. It exposes the darker side of living with a person who has a mental illness and the havoc it can cause a family. Set in the early 1960s Brazil, this story is told through the perspective of the entire Maurer family, one year after the Luiza's disappearance.
The story takes its time to unfold, told through a series of past and present events, in the weeks before the family is set to depart for Canada. The family dynamic is super dysfunctional and it is difficult to see how they will be able to come together and move forward. The family had their
issues before Luiza disappears but it is obvious that their relationships with eachother suffer greatly afterwards. The fact that it is told through the perspective of five different characters makes it feel a little helter skelter. While we do get a good perspective from each character, I felt like I could not relate to any of them and disconnected me from the story.
The writing style was interesting and the thing that I struggled with the most. The author's writing style is over descriptive and the kinda poetic flowery writing that missed its mark. It was like someone filled a tumbler full of random words, shook it up and dumped it into this book. Everything went around in circles and I was never sure if what was described was actually in the past, present or some sort of hallucination (because there are some throughout the book).
Maybe it's not the writing style for me. Maybe I just didn't get it. I may at some point pick this book up and finish it. For now, I think I'm better off leaving it were it is.
I won an ARC of this book through a Goodreads contest and I was so excited to read this book, I picked it up the day it was delivered. As interesting as the synopsis sounded, it did not take me long to realize that there was something about this story that wasn't gripping me. It's not that I hated it, but I was hoping for so much more than it gave me. I take great pains to think that I am putting down this book not having finished it but I just do not feel invested in the story or characters.
All Beauty is Now is the story of a family unraveling after the disappearance and assumed drowning of the eldest daughter, Luiza. It exposes the darker side of living with a person who has a mental illness and the havoc it can cause a family. Set in the early 1960s Brazil, this story is told through the perspective of the entire Maurer family, one year after the Luiza's disappearance.
The story takes its time to unfold, told through a series of past and present events, in the weeks before the family is set to depart for Canada. The family dynamic is super dysfunctional and it is difficult to see how they will be able to come together and move forward. The family had their
issues before Luiza disappears but it is obvious that their relationships with eachother suffer greatly afterwards. The fact that it is told through the perspective of five different characters makes it feel a little helter skelter. While we do get a good perspective from each character, I felt like I could not relate to any of them and disconnected me from the story.
The writing style was interesting and the thing that I struggled with the most. The author's writing style is over descriptive and the kinda poetic flowery writing that missed its mark. It was like someone filled a tumbler full of random words, shook it up and dumped it into this book. Everything went around in circles and I was never sure if what was described was actually in the past, present or some sort of hallucination (because there are some throughout the book).
Maybe it's not the writing style for me. Maybe I just didn't get it. I may at some point pick this book up and finish it. For now, I think I'm better off leaving it were it is.
August 14, 2017
I love to read all kinds of books, but one of my favourites in novels that take me to another time and place; the kind of novels where you actually almost forget that you're reading printed words on a page, because everything on that page is written so vividly (and so well) that it's more like watching a movie unfold in your mind than reading words on a paper. That's what this book was like. It took me to Brazil, it introduced me to a family of so-real-they-come-to-life characters, and it was a wonderful read.
One element of it that was especially interesting to me was one of the character being bi-polar. The book is set in the 60s, at time where treatments were less available to those with that condition. My partner of almost a decade is, himself, bi-polar, so I found that element of the book really interesting. And, also, totally accurate.
Wonderful book!
One element of it that was especially interesting to me was one of the character being bi-polar. The book is set in the 60s, at time where treatments were less available to those with that condition. My partner of almost a decade is, himself, bi-polar, so I found that element of the book really interesting. And, also, totally accurate.
Wonderful book!
July 20, 2017
This is a beautifully written story of a family steeped in darkness, dysfunction and madness. The family consists of a mother, father and three daughters. Told from first perso9n perspectives after the eldest daughter goes missing as the family is preparing to leave Brazil for Canada. Ms. Faber's writing is truly poetic - the story though is very dark.
August 4, 2017
Thanks to Little Brown for the free review copy - all opinions are my own.
The lush setting and provocative premise made this an enjoyable read, although it was a little too slow-paced and description-laden for my current reading mood. If you like family intrigue in an exotic setting and a great deal of rumination, flashback and adjectives, this one is for you.
The lush setting and provocative premise made this an enjoyable read, although it was a little too slow-paced and description-laden for my current reading mood. If you like family intrigue in an exotic setting and a great deal of rumination, flashback and adjectives, this one is for you.
September 17, 2017
A family's coping with a daughter/sister disappearance. Sometimes read as a little drawn out.
November 1, 2017
Those this novel is very well-written, I found it to be very unsatisfying. I suppose the novel can be seen as a sensitive exploration of the damage done to a family by a father's madness but it just seemed over-the-top to me and so damned lyrical, it was annoying. I really hated the parents especially the father though I realize he was mentally ill and it was a different era when medication wasn't as sophisticated or widely used as today. But as for me,I would have left the guy no matter how interesting and poetic he was. His children really paid the price. Sometimes love is not enough.
February 26, 2024
This book had me yawning. It was predictable and boring. Thankful it’s finally over!
August 22, 2017
At once beautiful and devastating we are swept into the captivating setting of Rio de Janiero in the 1960s, when tragedy bores its way into a wealthy family. Luiza, the eldest of three daughters takes her sisters to the crowded beach on a beautiful day. A strong swimmer, she is seen swimming far out into the ocean, and then not seen again. As we delve into the events prior to and post Luiza’s disappearance and presumed drowning we are invited into the secret thoughts of Luiza’s family members, each broken in their own way by the patriarch Hugo’s bipolar disorder. Back and forth between their anger, suffering, blame, confusion, shame and sweet remembrance Luiza’s own secrets and mistakes spill onto the pages in heartbreaking prose and naked detail. Did Luiza take her own life or was this a tragic accident? Could Luiza still be alive? – Without a body there is hope and with hope there is no closure, no moving on, only wondering where she is and why she is gone.
This is one of those novels that you read the synopsis and think "well this sounds alright" and then you are completely enraptured and altogether surprised in the best way possible! This is a stunning read and one of my faves this year.
This is one of those novels that you read the synopsis and think "well this sounds alright" and then you are completely enraptured and altogether surprised in the best way possible! This is a stunning read and one of my faves this year.
August 26, 2017
Mental illness is dealt with differently today than it was during the early sixties, which is the setting for this novel. The family tries to hide the disease from one and all. While seeking treatment on a different continent, the family sacrifices much to help the afflicted family member. We are introduced to several stressful situations that have an effect on both the adults and children in different ways. Through it all the theme of a mother's love and faith in her loved ones never waivers. The outcome of one of these situations is surprising and also gives the reader a sense of hope for the survivors. I enjoyed this as a winner of a giveaway and would highly recommend it!
August 22, 2017
Gorgeous prose that left me in Brazil. A book to savor. Thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
August 19, 2017
Such a great book! I have now passed it on for others to read .
Thank You
Thank You
July 20, 2017
A young woman, Luiza, walks into the water at a sunny beach in Brazil in 1962. She disappears and no body was found and she is presumed drowned, washed out to sea. A year later, her family is still reeling from the apparent drowning and has decided to move their family back to Canada because the father, Hugo, a Canadian citizen, needs medical treatment and it's free in Canada. As they prepare, pack and spend time with friends, the story digs into the family, their background and personalities as each one deals with their grief in their own way.
Dora, Luiza's mother, is desperate to learn about her daughter's last days and still hopes against hope that her daughter is alive somewhere. The affair she had years ago is going to prove to have huge consequences. Hugo, Luiza's father, is spiraling back into another manic "high" phase, and we find out Dora and the family have been dealing with his mental illness all their married life. Their other two daughters, Evie and Magda are very different personalities with their own secrets as they're reaching their teens, becoming more aware of the adult realities of the family. Through flashbacks, we also learn about Luiza's last months, weeks and days before her disappearance. Hugo was adored by his daughters while Dora has to carry the burden of dealing with his illness more directly.
The story is told alternatively from each of their points of view. The atmosphere of Rio in the early 60s is vividly described. The story of this family, beautiful and glamourous on the surface, reveals more and more layers beneath the brittle exterior. There's one chapter describing Hugo's thoughts while in his mania that is just breathtakingly, achingly bizarre, glorious and heartbreaking. The children think he shouldn't be drugged and made to think and be like "normal"people, that his imagination and his ravings are what make him exciting but Dora, having to deal with his excessive highs and lows, ends up being the bad guy in her children's eyes because she has to deal with it on an adult level, he can be dangerous to himself and his daughters in that state.
When all the secrets are revealed and the dust settles, you find yourself wanting to go back and start the ride all over again. This is a debut novel and is beautifully written, with the voices of each character unique and insightful .The author has captured the innocence of the children as well as the voices of the adults in a believable way.
And now I want to travel to Rio!
Thanks to Netgalley for a digital ARC for review.
Dora, Luiza's mother, is desperate to learn about her daughter's last days and still hopes against hope that her daughter is alive somewhere. The affair she had years ago is going to prove to have huge consequences. Hugo, Luiza's father, is spiraling back into another manic "high" phase, and we find out Dora and the family have been dealing with his mental illness all their married life. Their other two daughters, Evie and Magda are very different personalities with their own secrets as they're reaching their teens, becoming more aware of the adult realities of the family. Through flashbacks, we also learn about Luiza's last months, weeks and days before her disappearance. Hugo was adored by his daughters while Dora has to carry the burden of dealing with his illness more directly.
The story is told alternatively from each of their points of view. The atmosphere of Rio in the early 60s is vividly described. The story of this family, beautiful and glamourous on the surface, reveals more and more layers beneath the brittle exterior. There's one chapter describing Hugo's thoughts while in his mania that is just breathtakingly, achingly bizarre, glorious and heartbreaking. The children think he shouldn't be drugged and made to think and be like "normal"people, that his imagination and his ravings are what make him exciting but Dora, having to deal with his excessive highs and lows, ends up being the bad guy in her children's eyes because she has to deal with it on an adult level, he can be dangerous to himself and his daughters in that state.
When all the secrets are revealed and the dust settles, you find yourself wanting to go back and start the ride all over again. This is a debut novel and is beautifully written, with the voices of each character unique and insightful .The author has captured the innocence of the children as well as the voices of the adults in a believable way.
And now I want to travel to Rio!
Thanks to Netgalley for a digital ARC for review.
September 1, 2017
Thanks to Goodreads and Penguin Random House Canada for a free copy of this book.
I was surprised to find out that All Is Beauty Now is Sarah Faber's first novel. It is so beautifully written with such careful detail to setting and characterization. Set in the 1960's in Brazil, it tells the story of a dysfunctional family dealing with mental illness and with the presumed drowning of the oldest child.
Faber reminds me of a literary Patricia Highsmith, as she has captured the mood of the 60's, the exotic location, and the sense that something is not quite as it seems. I am also reminded of Wide Sargasso Sea with the very atmospheric slow burn, gradually building in intensity.
When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure that I would really like it but the more I read, the harder it was to put down. So, due to the slow start, I couldn't rate it 5 stars, 4.5 instead.
I was surprised to find out that All Is Beauty Now is Sarah Faber's first novel. It is so beautifully written with such careful detail to setting and characterization. Set in the 1960's in Brazil, it tells the story of a dysfunctional family dealing with mental illness and with the presumed drowning of the oldest child.
Faber reminds me of a literary Patricia Highsmith, as she has captured the mood of the 60's, the exotic location, and the sense that something is not quite as it seems. I am also reminded of Wide Sargasso Sea with the very atmospheric slow burn, gradually building in intensity.
When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure that I would really like it but the more I read, the harder it was to put down. So, due to the slow start, I couldn't rate it 5 stars, 4.5 instead.
September 2, 2017
I really enjoyed the characterization in this novel. Each person was uniquely believable. Although sometimes they could articulate feelings and ideas in ways most people can't, they were all relatable in some way or another. That being said, it took some getting used to with the set up of narration and chapters. While each chapter lets you into the thoughts of a different character, it is still 3rd person.
My favorite part of the novel would be how well planned and thought out it was. Each detail made sense when the book is complete. My least favorite was the narrative voice. I felt I would have heard the characters voices or understood them better having 1st person switch rather than omniscient.
My favorite part of the novel would be how well planned and thought out it was. Each detail made sense when the book is complete. My least favorite was the narrative voice. I felt I would have heard the characters voices or understood them better having 1st person switch rather than omniscient.
September 12, 2017
Goodreads Win
A young girl is thought to die in the water but her body has not been found. It has been a year as the family still mourns and on her death figurative her despite no physical body. Is she really dead?
The family still is dealing with their loss as they get ready to migrate to Canada as originally planned beforehand. Each member of the family has their own perspective as the family dynamics are crumbling and secrets will start to unravel.
A telling tale of how fragile family dynamics can be.
A young girl is thought to die in the water but her body has not been found. It has been a year as the family still mourns and on her death figurative her despite no physical body. Is she really dead?
The family still is dealing with their loss as they get ready to migrate to Canada as originally planned beforehand. Each member of the family has their own perspective as the family dynamics are crumbling and secrets will start to unravel.
A telling tale of how fragile family dynamics can be.
August 29, 2017
Such a beautifully written story about a family of 5, who unexpectedly become a family of 4 upon the presumed drowning of the eldest daughter Luiza. While grieving and trying to understand what happened to Luiza, deep rooted family secrets are uncovered. This story is told through the eyes of all 5 family members, the secrets they've discovered, and how they cope with them. An absolute beauty of a book.
January 15, 2018
Beautifully written novel about a family in 1960s Rio de Janeiro, affected by the father's mental illness. As the novel opens the eldest daughter, twenty year old Luiza, has vanished, swum out to sea and not returned. The family has long struggled with the dramatic mood swings of father Hugo (who appears to have bipolar disorder), and further fractures threaten under the strain of Luiza's disappearance. The tone is introspective and compelling.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews