Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center (and a Giveaway!)
When Katherine Center’s newest novel, Everyone is Beautiful, became available for review, I knew I had to read it! Katherine is one of those authors whom you just love because she’s just simply awesome. Last July I read and reviewed Katherine’s debut novel The Bright Side of Disaster which I enjoyed. She also joined us for a great author interview. Remember that yummy Mexican Tomato Lime Tortilla soup? That would be Katherine’s creation! She shall forever be known on the Maw Books Blog as the one with that amazing soup!
Even though I liked The Bright Side of Disaster I must admit that I was still a bit hesitant to read Everyone is Beautiful. Hesitant but really looking forward to it at the same time. Would she be able to pull it off a second time? The reason I was hesitant is more personal, simply because I would classify Everyone is Beautiful as mommy lit, and being honest, it’s a genre that I normally don’t read. Maybe because I have the preconceived notion that they are full of fluff and not written well. Why I have that preconceived notion I don’t really know, so I couldn’t even tell you if that’s true or not, although I doubt it. But let me tell you this: I could not put Everyone is Beautiful down. I read it in just one day. I really enjoyed it. When I told Katherine these thoughts, I had that “aha” moment of understanding when she responded by saying:
You know, all my writing training was more “literary,” so that might be part of what’s appealing to you. I have a Master’s in Fiction and spent years writing in different voices and trying different styles. So maybe you’re sensing that? It’s certainly Mom-Lit, but it may have elements of other types of fiction, as well. I certainly try to give the books moments of bitter sweetness and sorrow, even within the broader structure of the comedy. Whatever it is, I’m glad you’re liking the books!!
It all makes sense! In addition to its literary fiction appeal, Everyone is Beautiful is a great story. Lanie Coates is the mother of three boys – all under the age of four – who has just moved away from her friends and family from Houston to Boston so her husband Peter can attend graduate school. He’s a pianist who dreams to be accepted to a prestigious program that will take him across the country for a few weeks during the holidays. Something that Lanie selfishly doesn’t want to happen. Can she handle the boys for that long on her own in a new town with no friends?
Lanie looks in the mirror (actually, she’s stopped looking in the mirror) and wonders where her looks went, where the pounds came from and can’t imagine spending money on a wardrobe that isn’t slobber proof. She has given so much of herself to everybody else that she’s lost sight of what she wants. What she wants is a closer marriage, to be a better mother, not feel so homesick, make friends, get in shape, become ambitious, and find a hobby.
She simply wants to not only look more beautiful but feel more beautiful. After being humiliated by another mommy during playtime at the park, she decides that it’s time to make those changes. It’s time to find that beauty again. And that’s what’s at the heart of this story. What is beauty? And how does one obtain it? When Lanie tries to rediscover this she finds that she may actually lose everything else in the process, including her family.
I couldn’t help laughing out loud and sympathizing with Lanie. Laughing (or maybe cringing) because I was so, so glad that my life isn’t as crazy as hers. I’ve at least never scrapped spaghetti noodles off of the couch before but also empathetic because I know what it’s like to go to the bathroom with a child on your knee and reading a book at the same time. And even if you don’t have a child on your knee then you are at least yelling from the bathroom for somebody to stop doing whatever it is their doing until you come back down (Case in point – while taking a break from writing this review to run upstairs, I could hear a chair scraping across the floor. I came back down to find three bananas smashed on the floor.) It was so much fun to read a book with the attitude of “yep, been there, done that.”
I also sympathized with Lanie’s move. I moved from our college apartment, away from my friends and church community when I was eight months pregnant. It was just two weeks later that I had my baby. I came home to boxes everywhere and not a single friend. To make matters worse, it was the beginning of winter. I spent months inside ecstatic with our new new house and new baby but also very lonely without a single friend to call my own. It’s not easy to be a mother on ones own and unfortunately our society has moved in the direction of mothering being a solitary occupation. I also loved how Lanie turned to photography as one of her outlets. I loved being in the darkroom (seems like I’m reading a lot of books like that recently) as she discovered a new creative process that was something she did just for her.
But all that said, Everyone is Beautiful is more than just a book for mom’s. It’s a book for anybody who wants to step inside another shoes and immerse themselves in a beautifully written, humorous and touching book. It’s a story of motherhood as Lanie tries to do everything just right but also about the journey of rediscovering ones self and what’s important in life.
I’m already anxious for Katherine to come out with another book. Everyone is Beautiful just came out yesterday, so I’ve got a while to wait. But in the meantime, Random House has sent me an extra ARC to give to you! To enter, leave a comment responding to this review in some way or answer either of the following two questions: Do you have a special mom in your life or if you are a mom – what does the word beautiful now mean to you? I’ll pick a winner and announce it in the comments on this post on Wednesday, February 25th.
I’m thrilled that Katherine will be guest posting here tomorrow! I’m really, really excited! Don’t miss it!
Links of interest: More blogger reviews. Katherine’s website, my book review of The Bright Side of Disaster, my interview with Katherine and let’s not forget that soup.
Genre: Hmm . . . Literary Fiction/Mommy Lit
Publisher: Random House. February 17, 2009.
Hardcover, 256 pages. ISBN: 1400066433
Everyone is Beautiful is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.
Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!
Tags: A-D Author, chick lit, E-H Title, female author, Fiction, literary fiction, published 2009, review copy
 |
| or | 
|
Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.
As a mom, the word beautiful now immediately brings to mind my two daughters, how amazing it is that I made them … how comforting it is that they love me so much… and how happy it makes me to see that they are so smart, funny, pretty, and sweet. Beautiful reminds me of how blessed I am.
on February 18th, 2009 at 1:18 amSounds like a great book. I have been finding that more books which would be usually classified as chick-lit are having an extra element of depth a nd good writing as well, so I hope that writers keep experimenting and mixing it up because I love to read different genres but struggle with the quality/content issue.
Great review!
on February 18th, 2009 at 3:10 amAh, her life sounds sort of like how I perceive mine! Sign me up for the giveaway.
Beauty–let me see–being who God has called me to be and having my confidence in Him, not myself. That’s my definition of beauty.
on February 18th, 2009 at 5:55 amThis sounds like a great read; thanks for sharing it! I can definitely sympathize with the lack of time to spend on myself anymore (and the funny toileting descriptions!). I think my husband tends to think I’m beautiful when I’m happy and smiling, regardless of hair/clothes/makeup, etc., so I’m trying to see myself in that light. But to have more than 1 minute to spend on my hair would help too.
on February 18th, 2009 at 6:20 amPerfect timing on this giveaway! Just yesterday I emailed several of the gals in my book club (all young moms) and recommended Katherine’s two books to them – I’d love to win a copy to share with those gals.
on February 18th, 2009 at 6:42 amI should be receiving this book soon for a tour, and I’m really looking forward to it now that I’ve read your review. I learned long ago that once you have a kid, bathroom privacy goes out the window. My 8-year-old loves to read to me when I’m in the shower. LOL
on February 18th, 2009 at 8:15 amI would have passed right over this (book, review) if you hadn’t pointed out the book’s literary aspects. Thanks also for the reassurance that non-moms may be able to enjoy it. :p Now, this sounds like a book I want to read!
on February 18th, 2009 at 8:16 amThis would probably be a good book for me to read because I sometimes feel like motherhood has stripped me of any outer beauty! Weight gain, stretch marks, bags under my eyes, gray hair, you name it, I’ve got it! To compensate, I think I try to convey beauty somehow from my being by showing love to my children, sharing good books with them, and creating a warm and secure home for them.
on February 18th, 2009 at 8:24 amI would love this book! I am a mom who definitely doesn’t feel beautiful. But when my four year old son tells me that I am, it means the world to me!
on February 18th, 2009 at 9:42 amI think that most moms can relate to the solitude. I’ve thought a lot about beauty in terms of inner confidence over the past few years. The women that I admire most, that seem the most beautiful to me are those who have confidence in themselves (especially when that confidence is paired with kindness).
During those times when I am not feeling great about myself I like to remember a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.” To me this means that most of the battle of feeling inferior is going on inside of me. If I’m feeling less beautiful than someone else it’s because I’m either allowing myself to feel that way, or because my “permission” was given by my choices to not take proper care of myself.
In any case, when I have that inner confidence and kindness, it doesn’t matter how fancy my clothes are or how much weight I lost last week, I believe that it shines through so much that all of the other things fade in comparison, and what people see is the inner beauty.
And on the hard days I have to remind myself of this over and over.
on February 18th, 2009 at 9:53 amWow. I’ve had Bright Side of Disaster on my TBR list after yur last review. I have to say, yick on the cover…but I know authors rarely have input on this.
My idea of beautiful as it realates to my own self-image has changed a lot. Maybe it’s having an awesome husband who loved my preganant body because it carried his child and still traces the scar from my c-sections with almost admiration. Being a mommy has changed my body for certain, and at times I look at the scars, the little stretch marks, the not-so-flat stomach and think “Ugh”. But then I look at my children. They make me feel beautiful. I gave these two beautiful girls life and they love me for nothing more than that. They tell me “mommy you are pretty” all the time. Which…they think frogs and puppies are pretty…but I will take it.
How’s that for a sappy answer?? I want ARC copies of books! I guess you have to be blogging a lot longer than my two months to start recieving these
on February 18th, 2009 at 10:20 amI really think my mom is completely awesome. But she’s also not perfect which gives me hope that my kids will think I’m awesome too!
on February 18th, 2009 at 10:40 amI’ve never read anything by this author before but I just love the cover! I’m pleased to say that I have a great relationship with my mom and my mother-in-law.
on February 18th, 2009 at 2:15 pmThis book sounds like something I would enjoy. I am a mom, and I have felt that moving away feeling twice now. The first time was when I first moved to a small town away from all my family and friends. That is where I started out as a mother, and it seemed very lonely at first. Fortunately, I found some really terrific friends down there. After 4 years there, we moved back home. Now I am reconnecting with my best friend from High School, which is great, but I miss my group of friends from Beaver so much. Sometimes I wish I could be both places at once. I often feel lonely up here among my family. That sounds strange doesn’t it?
Sometimes I look at pictures from High School and College and think I looked pretty good back then. It is quite funny, because I know at the time I probably thought I was not good looking enough or thin enough. Boy, I should have appreciated it more back then. I guess the lesson in all is just to appreciate how you look, because you really can’t do too much to improve in that way. What you can improve is your attitude and how you treat others.
on February 18th, 2009 at 3:36 pmWhat a lovely sounding book. It sounds like every mom should read it! One thing that amazes me about being a mom is that I love my two sons more than anything in this world. It is almost unexplainable. Please enter my name in your delightful book drawing. Many thanks, Cindi
on February 18th, 2009 at 10:38 pmI’m a new mom…and I’m really loving it very much. Sometimes, it is so tiring literally but when your boy hugs you and smile his sweetest innocent smile, my frustrations just flew out of the window everytime.
if you;re sending international, please toss my name in the hat.
on February 18th, 2009 at 11:05 pmAfter reading this review – I am anxious to read this book! As a mom my idea of beauty defintely changed. I love that my children can always look at me and tell me that I am beautiful with amazing sincerity – even when I have just rolled out of bed! And I feel the same way about them.
on February 19th, 2009 at 6:56 amBeauty? This book review brought me to a sobering recognition about myself. I can only say that, for good or ill, I stopped looking in the mirror after my children were born. I would brush my teeth, put on makeup, arrange my hair — and realize that for days I had not looked into my own eyes.
I congratulate Katherine for the aim of bringing literary excellence to this sliver of genre books.
Latayne C Scott
on February 19th, 2009 at 7:24 amhttp://www.latayne.com
novelmatters.blogspot.com
BRIGHT SIDE OF DISASTER has been on my wish list for a while — if I don’t win EVERYONE IS BEAUTIFUL, I’ll have to add that one as well! I think that over the years my idea of beauty has definitely changed from the merely physical to the more spiritual and metaphysical. Consciousness of the miracle of our existence makes everything beautiful.
on February 19th, 2009 at 7:54 amThis sounds really wonderful. My girls mean everything to me. I can relate to the mirror comment. I go whole days without visiting a mirror, which is incredible for someone who used to be fixated on hair/makeup and looking just right in the pre-kid days. Beauty is my girls and who they are, inside and out.
on February 19th, 2009 at 8:04 amBeauty to me is not necessarily what one sees on the outside. It goes much deeper. My mother is beautiful for in her heart she never forgot about me even though it took 41 years less eight days for us to be together again. This is beauty. A love that lasts through the thick and thin of years passing by. Today my mom is 71 years old and I wish her many years ahead to share with my family, but for now she will be attending her granddaughter’s wedding next month, something that might not have been had we not been brought together again.
on February 19th, 2009 at 8:31 amBeautiful to me is a sunrise,a starry night,a whisper in my ear from my husband,a dreamy look from my dog,a call from my son to wish me a Happy Valentine’s day.
on February 19th, 2009 at 11:53 amThis book sounds great. I’m struggling to put into words my feelings about beauty. There have been times in the last several years that I’ve resolved to stop being frumpy and take care of myself better. I think it’s good to try to look our best even if our best doesn’t meet the world’s standards of beauty. But really, I think almost everyone has beauty even if it’s not the outward beauty that we notice. That beauty can be manifest in the way we treat our children, the service we give our families and others around us, the beautiful things we create, the house that we turn into a home, or any number of other beautiful things.
on February 19th, 2009 at 12:59 pmI do have a special mom, who is a very beautiful loving person. She cares about everybody, and worries about them too. Even though she is 85, everyone tells her she has the prettiest skin, so she is beautiful both inside and out. Most importantly I don’t know what I would do without her.
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
on February 19th, 2009 at 5:40 pmSounds like a fantastic book. I really like an idea I got from Cokie Roberts about mothering from her book We are Our Mother’s Daughters, How we are shaped by our mothers and we in turn shape others and she even suggests that we are often mothered by people who are not our biological mothers, aunts, grandmothers, etc. I just love looking at various women from the past and see the sacrifices they made for me and how I have reaped the benefits.
on February 19th, 2009 at 9:09 pmI am a strong believer in “pretty is as pretty does” not so much in manners and all the silly things that don’t matter, but in character issues. A beautiful person is one that is not arrogant, rude and riddled with bad attitudes but a person who loves, is gentle with their speech and honest (among many other admirable qualities).
Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
on February 20th, 2009 at 10:08 amI am very blessed i had a very special grandmother who was more than a mom to me and i have a very special mom thanks for the giveaway
on February 20th, 2009 at 11:37 amI always told my daughters that beautiful on the outside is temporary, and beautiful on the inside lasts.
on February 20th, 2009 at 12:14 pmThis sounds like a great book. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’d never heard of either of Katherine Center’s books before, but your review has intrigued me–I’ll probably try them whether I win the giveaway or not.
on February 20th, 2009 at 1:45 pmWhat a great book – I would love to read it!! I love the study of life and how our perspective changes as we grow. I owe so much to my mother, and when people say “you remind me of your mother” it’s a beautiful compliment!
on February 20th, 2009 at 6:46 pmAs a Mom, beautiful now means something other than superficial looks. A beautiful person is one living up to their potential, and encouraging others to do the same. It’s the person that makes this world a bt sweeter.
on February 20th, 2009 at 10:58 pmLooks like a great book….
on February 21st, 2009 at 9:23 amMy mom is one of the strongest people I know. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor, and having brain surgery.. she has had to relearn how to swallow twice (and even needed a feeding tube for a while) and had to relearn how to walk numerous times. She’s doing great now, and can go shopping, cook, etc. She just persevered and was determined to get back to as normal of a life as she could. Thank you so much for offering this giveaway! eyeslikesugar [at] gmail [dot] com
on February 21st, 2009 at 1:45 pmBeautiful to me is seeing my children being happy …knowing that I did instill the tools they needed to be good husbands and fathers.
Marta’s Meanderings
tbbycatt (at) gmail (dot) com
on February 21st, 2009 at 4:04 pmBeautiful to me is watching my children when they are excited about their accomplishments. I love it when they work hard so hard to achieve what they want. I’m so proud of them. Thanks for the great giveaway!
jgbeads AT gmail DOT com
on February 21st, 2009 at 7:16 pmMy Mom just passed away on Feb. 15th. She was my best friend.
on February 24th, 2009 at 4:22 pmRandom.org has spoken and we have a winner for Everyone is Beautiful! #23 commenter is Kim!! Oh, Kim I am so excited for you. I think you could appreciate this book! I’ll send it off to you!
on February 25th, 2009 at 10:09 pmCongratulations Kim! I’m sure you will love this book. Now I just need to see if my library has it!! Enjoy!
Isn’t Natasha awesome for having so many cool giveaways?!?!
on February 25th, 2009 at 10:27 pm[...] Natasha at Maw Books [...]
on March 8th, 2009 at 8:10 pmIt is so amazing to read all these tender and thoughtful comments. I love all the tributes to loved ones here–and all the different ways of defining beauty. Thanks to everyone!
on March 27th, 2009 at 11:45 pmThree videos that I thought I would share with everybody:
on May 7th, 2009 at 12:39 am[...] Katherine’s TLC blog tour, more blogger reviews, Katherine’s website, my book review of Everyone is Beautiful, The Bright Side of Disaster, my author interview with Katherine, Nikki’sguest post interview [...]
on April 23rd, 2010 at 10:10 am