Among the Beautiful Beasts

by Lori McMullen

Set in the early 1900s, Among the Beautiful Beasts is the untold story of the early life of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, known in her later years as a tireless activist for the Florida Everglades. After a childhood spent in New England estranged from her father and bewildered by her mother, who fades into madness, Marjory marries a swindler thirty years her senior. The marriage nearly destroys her, but Marjory finds the courage to move to Miami, where she is reunited with her father and begins a new life as a journalist in that bustling, booming frontier town. Buoyed by a growing sense of independence and an affair with a rival journalist, Marjory embraces a life lived at the intersection of the untamed Everglades and the rapacious urban development that threatens it. When the demands of a man once again begin to swallow Marjory's own desires and dreams, she sees herself in the vulnerable, inimitable Everglades and is forced to decide whether to commit to a life of subjugation or leap into the wild unknown. Told in chapters that alternate between an urgent midnight chase through the wetlands and extensive narrative flashbacks, Among the Beautiful Beasts is at once suspenseful and deeply reflective.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Book Club, Fiction, Feminism, American

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2021

Reviews

[Joan Happel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written and absorbing novel about the early life and career of Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Known in her later life as and activist for the Florida Everglades, Marjory first had to overcome a difficult childhood and disastrous first marriage. Born in New England, Marjory experiences the estrangement of her father and her mother’s spiral into mental illness. She is sent to live with her grandparents and aunt, who take her under their loving wings and encourage her pursuit of an education. After graduating from college, she struggles to find a career path, and falls under the charms of an alcoholic con man. As her marriage drags her under both mentally and physically, she escapes her husband and moves to Miami where she is reunited with her father. Encouraged to pursue a career in journalism, Marjory is soon caught up in booming real estate of Miami and the surrounding area. While awaiting her divorce to be final, Marjory meets a fellow journalist and falls in love. They are separated by WWI and upon her fiancé’s return, she finds that she must choose between her own career or a life with another mentally wounded man.

This is a story of struggle and resilience. Set against the backdrop of a fascinating time in early Florida history, Marjory’s story resonates even today. The difficulties of dealing with mental illness and the pressure on women to choose between their own wants and needs and the needs of those they love. This is a vivid and well-crafted novel, with engaging and descriptive prose. A riveting historical fiction novel, it will appeal to a wide variety of readers and is a great book for reading groups to tackle.

Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young girl Marjory Stoneman loved her mother fiercely.  Her creativity, imagination and love of life inspired Marjory.  However, her mother's passion soon revealed a mental illness that forced Marjory's father to leave and Marjory and her mother to return to her mother's home in Taunton, Massachusetts.  At her grandparent's house, Marjory does not receive much affection, but she does receive an education at Wellesley where she learns the joys of writing and becomes involved in women's suffrage.  After school, Marjorie becomes entangled with Kenneth Douglas, a swindler who eventually tries to get money out of Marjorie's estranged father.  This works out well for Marjorie as she is reunited with her father, works for him at his newspaper in Miami and becomes enthralled with the wild environment of the Everglades.

Written in beautiful,  flowing, prose that captures the spirit of Marjorie Stoneman Douglass and her writing, Among the Beautiful Beasts artfully tells the story of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas' life.  Beginning with Marjory's early life, we are able to see where her passion stems from as well as how her early life set her up for a life of independence and activism.  I loved the descriptions of the Everglades and the wild that existed in Florida before it was developed.  Seeing the Everglades through Marjory's eyes helped to see how she became captivated with the wilderness.  I enjoyed learning about Marjory's life and how she constantly fought for her independence and what she believed was right. Overall, an amazing story about a captivating and determined woman.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marjory Stoneman Douglas loved her new home in Florida and her job writing for her father's newspaper. She arrived in 1915, a crucial time when developers were dredging up the sea bottom to create coastal retreats, destroying the ecosystem of the unique habitat known as the Everglades.

Marjory's adored mother was mentally ill, causing her father to leave them when she was a girl. Her mother in an asylum, Marjory was cared for by grandparents and an aunt who supported her college education. She found work writing for a newspaper.

Marjory considered herself to be plain; then she met a man who swept her off her feet and she leapt into marriage, learning his true history and nature too late. To escape, Marjory joined her estranged father in Florida, writing for his newspaper.

Waiting for her divorce to be granted, Marjory falls in love. WWI separates them, and when he returns, she must decide between marriage to a wounded soul or a career and work as an activist to protect the Everglades.

The imagined early life of Marjory Stoneman Douglas is a story of a woman rising above the limitations of family and social constraints. The novel is in her voice, and told in alternating time lines of her early life within a suspenseful frame story. It is a page-turner.

The novel offers a vivid portrait of Florida, Miami Beach merely an idea, Coconut Grove isolated cottages. Marjory witnesses how a sand bar and mangrove swamp was drained and filled in to create Miami Beach.
He was stealing the land--changing it, moving it, using it--but unlike a common thief, he felt no need to hide.~ from Among the Beautiful Beasts by Lori McMullen
Now, I want a second volume that tells the story of her life's work as a writer and activist! Marjory lived to be 108 years old!

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

[Booknblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first heard the name Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, I was filled with horror, but since that day almost 4 years ago, I've learned that she was an ardent environmentalists who championed the formation of the Everglades National Park and sought to protect them. Stoneman Douglas also supported causes of the suffragettes and civil rights and lived to be 108. She was an amazing women and that is why I was happy to read Lori McMullen's fictionalized story of her first 30 years.

She was an interesting character and her life started down a hard road. Marjory as presented by McMullen took a few wrong turns before landing in Florida under her father's wing.

I was disappointed that the book did not cover more of her story and diminshed it somewhat by presenting the romantic side of her life. I was not completely happy with the conclusion and felt despite the title we did not really see that side of her life.

[Clarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunning book with lush, gorgeous writing. I picked it up because of a positive review I read from the Historical Novel Society, which had me at "environmentalist" and "suffrage movement."

I loved nearly everything about this book, but the best thing of all was the sense of place. I've never had the slightest interest in Florida or the Everglades, but McMullen made me feel, see, and smell what it must have been like in the early years of the 20th century. When the protagonist Margery (a real historical person) arrives in Florida for the first time, this is her impression:

"Like rain water, Florida seeped through the steel walls of the Pullman. The air was denser, more brackish, than it had been in Georgia; the heat seemed almost sly. More than the air and the heat, though, was the wildness that pushed its way in from outside, insistent and undeniable, intensifying with each mile gone. I thought of Joseph Conrad. Perhaps Florida thickened forever. Perhaps Miami, the Magic City, was simply a ploy by the swamp to lure people in deeper."

It's a tribute to McMullen's writing that a Canadian who hates heat and humidity would want to go to the place she describes, but I do. I really, really do!

Margery is a believable character for her time, not ahead of her time in an unrealistic way, and her slowly-developing sense of self seems completely real. This is the best kind of literary novel: beautiful writing and a fascinating story. My last but very much the best read of 2021!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book vacillated between a three and a five. The prose was beautiful, but sometimes the story was monotonous. There was very little devoted to the Everglades.

[Ritahelen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

I enjoyed this book very much and I learned a lot about Florida, the Everglades, I even learned something about WW1. It is well written, poetic even in places. Quite enjoyable.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

I had no idea what to expect. I was not familiar with the author, and I hadn’t seen any publicity until it popped up on one of my book selling sites. Having just moved to Florida from Massachusetts, the story intrigued me. Lori McMullen is an elegant writer and I fell in love with her prose and her protagonist Marjory. As a fellow historical fiction writer, I was also delighted by her research. From Boston to Miami and Paris during WWI, she nailed the mood and the culture, while creating real characters to care about. I loved this book.

[Helen Hollick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to confess that I had not heard of Marjory Stoneman Douglas and, as there is nothing in the file I was sent to indicate otherwise, I assumed that this novel was entirely a work of fiction. That fact will have a bearing on some of my thoughts about the book.

The novel begins with Marjory as a very small child, and straight away I was struck by how beautifully Ms McMullen writes. She has Marjory talking of evening strolls with her mother, where they 'walked past the school, past my bedtime.' Marjory's words one night become 'sluggish with yawns'. She speaks very much like a child in these chapters, telling us how she had to wear glasses to 'stop my left eye from watching my nose'. Reading aloud with her father, when she still can't see or read very well, she tells us that when it came to her turn, the story 'revealed itself almost in hiccups.'

Particularly well-crafted was the scene where Marjory's maiden aunt is buttoning up the child's dress when her niece asks an innocent question about the aunt's life. Marjory tells us that 'those buttons must have been really stubborn' because suddenly the aunt is tugging on them. Here we see what the child does not: she has touched a raw nerve with the aunt who feels her life has been wasted.

Marjory's mother is mentally ill and we are told that she is sent away to be fixed by strangers who 'glued her together but could only guess what the original should look like.'

I found this section of the book incredibly moving, and when, as Marjory goes off to college and her grandmother metaphorically takes the blanket of responsibility from her shoulders, I actually cried for this poor young woman.

There is an astuteness in the portrayal of Marjory's journey to adulthood, and when she returns from college she talks of how the house has changed, but also not changed, while she's been away. Of course we understand that it is she who has changed, but at the time, Marjory cannot see it.

The middle section of the book, which deals with Marjory's marriage, somehow jarred with the earlier part and didn't ring quite true (see my comment above - I had no idea that this was a true story and, actually, in terms of her husbands' duplicity, it seems to have been played down. It really is a remarkable story and the plot device used to move the story on, which I noted as being 'very clever', was also true). The storyline felt a little implausible and now I understand why, but I also lost any sense of historical setting in this portion. With talk of phones, and wearing heels, a hat, and carrying a purse, it could have been anytime in the 20th or 21st century. I wonder now if the author was also struggling to make an astounding episode ring true.

Of course, any young woman born in the late 19th century will have lived through WWI. Here, deep emotion is described in succinct phrases. Marjory speaks of the 'purgatory of farewell' - that long moment of goodbye while you are trying to recall every detail of the last meeting - and asks 'was there ever a lonelier sound than the silence that followed a waning train blast?' In this, as in so many other parts of the book, the author really gets inside Marjory's head and heart.

In Paris at the latter stages of the war, Marjory has a reunion and finds herself chattering too much. Haven't we all done that? She mimics someone they both knew and then tells us about the 'echo of her preposterous accent' hanging around. The embarrassment is keenly shown, and felt by the reader. We are also reminded that those who experienced such times could not simply leave it behind with the armistice: 'War was most senseless at the moment it ended.'

It's clear that the author has studied creative writing, but luckily her lyrical style always stops short of being cloyingly descriptive or overly 'show-offy'. She has a pithy way of describing characters. One, the botanist Fairchild, exists in 'a constant state of rearranging' - in other words he's a fidget. I loved these tight summings-up of characters, but would have preferred Marjory's best friend Carolyn to have been a more rounded figure; we didn't seem to see her tics and foibles in quite the same way.

There were some odd continuity errors, specifically with names. A young woman, Frances, often became Francis, switching several times between the two and sometimes even on the same page. Joe Cotten also at some point became Joe Cotton. Since I read this a few months before publication, I'm assuming that we were sent an ARC and these small proofreading issues will by now have been ironed out.

I must reiterate that I read this as if it were complete fiction, and thus needed to think about the overall shape of the book and the themes. On that basis, does it work as a novel? Yes, because the very separate threads of Marjory's life come together and show how the needs of others threatened to suffocate her, but I also got the sense that her life seems to have served as a metaphor for what was happening, not just in the US but to the wider world. Technology, development, emancipation: all of these affect the people in the book, including Grandmother Florence who wants so much to vote, just once, before she dies.

Ms McMullen has taken a true life story and turned it into a very readable novel. She imbues Marjory with many qualities, all of them likeable. The only thing that was perhaps missing was that, whilst Marjory mentions often that she is a writer of fiction, we don't see her success in that field. I looked her up after I'd read the book and was staggered by how many of the details of her life the author has managed to slot into the novel, seamlessly. I suspect though that at least one major character is completely fictional, and it would have been enlightening to have some author's notes at the end, firstly to explain to those like me who had not heard of Marjory, and secondly to point out which aspects of her life had been fictionalised.

It would seem that this is Ms McMullen's first book. As a work of fiction, it is sublime. As a retelling of a true story, it is wonderful. As a debut novel, it's a triumph.

Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds

[Ginger Pedersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel fictionalized the early years of Marjory Stoneman Douglas's life and career. I was interested in it because MSD appeared as a character in a book I wrote, so I had researched her life and read her columns from the 1920s that appeared in the Miami Herald (The Galley).
I knew of her struggles with her parents and grandparents, and of her failed marriage, but reading it through narrative and dialogue gave it new meaning and depth for me. She never gave in to the hardships.
The book is well-paced and gives a vivid description of South Florida in the 1910s and 1920s, as a hot and steamy place full of tropical beauty. I think the internal thoughts of Marjory could be seen as her voice, but I missed her wry or sometimes sarcastic humor that came through so strongly in her columns. I would have thought that would carry through to her inner voice as she reflects on her own life.
The fact that this is a book about Marjory Stoneman Douglas is all but hidden, which is a shame. The world really only knows her as an extremely old woman who saved the Everglades, when in fact she was so much more. Somehow her name should have been a sub-title of the book. I stumbled across it by accident. It doesn't show up at all when your search Amazon for books about MSD.
Highly recommend for historical fiction fans and fans of old South Florida.

[B.G. Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among the Beautiful Beasts is a fictionalized story of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the woman who would become a phenomenal activist for the Florida Everglades. This book takes place in the early 1900s, during Marjory’s early life - her childhood with a mother suffering from mental illness, her educational pursuit, her marriage to an alcoholic criminal, and her escape to Miami. Miami holds so much potential, from the enduring promise of growth to the beautiful Everglades. Perhaps here, Marjory finally has the chance to heal from the traumas of her past.

I really enjoyed this book. The author, Lori McMullen, does an excellent job of picking snapshots of Marjory’s life, then interweaving them with a heart-pounding chase scene (just to keep you on your toes). This is a beautifully written story about one woman’s journey of self-discovery and growth. Marjory is not perfect, but she is witty and intelligent, and it's so rewarding to watch her become a more empowered woman with each chapter.

Recommended: For fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, and fans of character-based stories.

[Amanda Nowlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was some really beautiful prose,but overall it fell flat for more. It just threw me off that it was supposed to be the real Marjory Stoneman Douglas, it just felt too fictional. Not sure that makes sense, but the way she wrote her she was pathetic at times and super selfish at others. She was never really likable, and nothing like I imagine the real heroine that was Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
Another thing, I'm not a master naturalist or anything, but I have grown up in Florida and love hiking in the Everglades and there was some blatant mistakes when describing things here- like saying she saw a burrowing owl in a tree and it flew over calling "who cooks for you ..". That is the barred owl's song, and burrowing owls live in the ground. And the sun blindness thing, yeah I had no idea what she was talking about. Anyways, maybe I had too high expectations, but I was disappointed.

[Halee · Rating 4 out of 5]

< I received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley. >

4/5 stars

A fictionalized telling of the life of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a writer, women’s suffrage advocate, and conservationist. The novel is structured mostly chronologically and focuses on her childhood and young adult life with occasional and brief chapters set in the future. The author is descriptive and her sensory writing made me feel like I was right there with the characters. I felt transported to the Florida Everglades like I was in the middle of a swamp surrounded by the sights, smells, and humidity. Ultimately, this is a story about finding inner strength and purpose in life.

[M C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my book club. Almost a 4...rounded up, as it was above average for me.

I was interested in learning about the life of Marjorie Stoneman Doug!as, but this book delivered much more. It doesn't relate any of her advocacy efforts for the Everglades, which was disappointing, but focuses on her early years and her struggles to overcome a very difficult upbringing. The writing seemed a little wordy at times, but the story was engaging.

Unfortunately, MSD's name is now irrevocably tied to the terrible shooting in the school that bears her name. The book would be of relevance to Floridians and those interested in the origins of environmental activism.

[Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best written books I've ever read. Just beautifully composed, breathtakingly done. This is historical fiction about the early life of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, known later for her tireless efforts for the preservation of the Florida Everglades. This book takes place in the early 1900s, including during WWI, the Spanish flu, and the fight for women's suffrage. My only tiny complaint is about the out-of-timeline sequences with a chase through the Everglades; I loved the prose and how it described the Everglades, but the actual reason and resolution felt off or contrived a bit. Overall, though, highly recommended, a really excellent book.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this novel about the early life of Marjory Stoneman Douglas. It tells her childhood & young adult life that prepares her for her later work advocating for the Everglades. She has a harrowing childhood & quite difficult time in college & overseas during WWI. It's also a fascinating look at the early growth of Miami & the challenges faced by the developers. The chapters about her life alternate with short chapters detailing her scary flight through the 'Glades in 1920. As you learn more about her early life, it gradually becomes clear what's happening in the later chapters & how she ultimately changes her life. So fascinating.

[Molly A. Cochran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absorbing, beautifully written book about a truly remarkable woman, Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
She was a writer, journalist, suffragette, civil rights advocate and environmentalist who truly made a huge impact on Southern Florida during her lifetime and since. In the 1920’s, when entrepreneurs Fisher and Flagler were developing Miami and taking soil from the Everglades, trying to figure out how to contain and/or divert the water to develop more land, Marjory recognized the tremendous value the Everglades are to the state. She worked diligently to try to undo the damage already done that still impacts the area today. While written as a novel, the facts in the book are verifiable. Definitely a must-read for every Floridian and anyone fascinated by powerful women who made a difference.

[GJS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite. The writing is beautiful but the characters are not developed enough and the story has a feeling of being rushed. This was the historical fiction version of Marjory Stoneman Douglas life before she became conservationist for the Everglades. If you read up on Marjory, she is a fascinating woman but this book didn't accomplish portraying that at all. I am interested in reading her book on the Everglades.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply emotional and personal, McMullen’s narrative of the remarkable life and journey of Marjory Stoneman Douglas is electric, compelling, and unconventional. Marjory, who was relentless in her protection of the Everglades, was an amazing, independent woman who loved her life fully and on her own terms. This historical novel gives the reader facts but also the emotional turbulence and passion possible by this famous woman.

[Annalinda Ragazzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Florida resident and supporter of the Friends of the Everglades, I was interested to read this book.
Although we only get a glimpse of Marjory Stoneman Douglas' activism, this is a beautifully written historical novel.
Reading like memoir , we are introduced to a young Marjory and the familial and societal mores that shaped her.

[Mary Vermette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew next to nothing about Margory Stoneman Douglas and from what I can tell the major events from the book are true. The portions up until she is a young adult were interesting and engaging. Once she moved to Miami, I felt the story focused too much on her love interest and not enough on her professional accomplishments. I give the book 3 1/2 stars if I could.

[Kathleen Hansell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mesmerising!



Loved learning about this fascinating woman who was relentless in her quest to save the Everglades from extinction. What a life she lived during her 108 years, and what a legacy she left to us all! Beautifully written!

[Rick Reitzug · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully-written book. Although it's a novel, it reads like a memoir, a feeling intensified since the subject of the book is the early life of journalist/author/environmentalist, Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Great read.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are all familiar with the name Marjory Stoneman Douglas due to the tragedy at the Florida high school that bears her name. McMullen provides an interesting glimpse of a young Marjory Stoneman in this novel. I enjoyed seeing her love of Florida, and the Everglades and her self-confidence develop.

[Joan Derango · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this would be an interesting book about nature in the Everglades and the development of Miami, and this material was indeed covered. But, overall, this book read more like a Harlequin romance than what I was hoping for. Very disappointing!

[Sheila R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written story about Marjory Stonemans Douglas and her life before living in Florida to defend the Everglades. Marjory’s resilience and determination are visible as we read about her family relationships and friends. The language is beautiful and the story compelling.

[TM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous debut novel about a woman I wish I'd known about sooner. A fascinating storyline and beautiful imagery make this a book I'd highly recommend.

[Nancy McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular writing

This is a superb book about a fascinating woman. I loved every beautiful word and now want to know more about the Everglades, which I've never seen.

[E.J. Nickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet, engaging story about a remarkable woman.