Beauty: A NovelWhat if the fairy tale came true? In this moving and utterly convincing contemporary retelling of the beloved Beauty and the Beast tale, Susan Wilson brings to life a thoroughly modern woman who learns to look beyond a man's physical appearance to the beauty in his soul. When Alix Miller travels to New Hampshire to paint Leland Crompton's portrait, nothing has prepared her for their first meeting. A writer of popular mysteries, Lee is hideously disfigured by a rare genetic disease - he's a recluse who interacts with the world only through his novels and his computer. He tells Alix that although he is willing to follow his wealthy family's tradition by sitting for a portrait, the painting will never be hung. In the long hours of work that follow, deep in the wintry woods, Alix begins to discover the remarkable man beneath the disturbing exterior. They grow ever closer until Alix is suddenly called to attend her ailing father. Now both of them find themselves confronting their deepest fears. Can Alix really choose this man over her handsome, successful boyfriend? Lee must risk believing that Alix really sees the beauty within him and love himself enough to return to the world from which he has retreated. |
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acromegaly afraid Alix amniocentesis answered arms artist asked Bad-dog beautiful began blue boys called canvas Chapter cheek child close coffee cold color Dad's dinner Dinner at eight docent door easel emergency medical technician eyes face fairy tale Father Vaughn feel feet felt fingers friends front gone Greaves hair hand Harris Bellefleur head held hung kitchen knew laughed leaned Lee Crompton Lee's light listen living room looked Mark Mark Kramer Mark's Miller mother moved Mulcahey museum Nashua never night okay paint paint box Pancreatic cancer pizza portrait pulled Riseborough Robin seemed shook skate sketch slipped smiled snow solarium station wagon stay stood stopped studio suddenly sweater talk tell thing thought tiny toboggan told took touched turned Tyler voice walked warm window words