Paula Hagar's Reviews > Everything Here is Beautiful

When I finished the amazing narration of this exquisitely-rendered novel I just lay there for the longest time, letting the characters and each of their stories, all of whom are touched deeply by the mental illness of Lucia, roll through my mind. I loved everything about this poignant story of two sisters whose bond breaks and heals, breaks and heals, through love and loss over 3 decades and 3 continents. We see the POVs of the sisters, Lucia's 2 men, and her daughter, all narrated perfectly by different voices, and each character came so alive for me. Those who listen to audiobooks know that the quality of the narration is everything. Lucia's mental illness, told through her eyes and head, affected me more deeply than any other novel of mental illness I've read in a very long time.

This is not an easy read (or listen) for one's heart - it WILL break it - but it's a story that will live with me for a long time to come. That this is the author's debut novel is astonishing. I look forward in great anticipation of what is to come.