A wise, tender novel about a woman who doesn’t feel at home on Earth by the acclaimed author of Parakeet.
At the moment when Voyager 1 is launched into space carrying its famous golden record, a baby of unusual perception is born to a single mother in Philadelphia. As a child, Adina Giorno recognizes that she is different; she also possesses knowledge of a faraway planet. The arrival of a fax machine enables her to contact her extraterrestrial relatives, beings who have sent her to report on the oddities of earthlings. As she moves through the world and makes a life for herself among humans, she dispatches transmissions on the terrors and surprising joys of their existence. But at a precarious moment, a beloved friend urges Adina to share her messages with the world. Is there a chance she is not alone?
Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Award, longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize * A Best Book of the 2024 at The New York Times, TIME Magazine, Electric Literature, Goodreads, Esquire, Elle, Lit Hub, Kirkus, Bookshop.org, WBEZ Chicago, and more * One of Esquire’s 75 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time * A Dakota Johnson x TeaTime Book Club Pick
“Beautyland is a monumental accomplishment, a shimmering masterpiece from an author with talent to spare.” — Michael Schaub for The Boston Globe
“It’s like fiction was invented for Adina and her tale.” —Annie Bostrom for Booklist
“This is the kind of humor that made Seinfeld millions, and Bertino does pathos, too.” —Alexandra Jacobs for The New York Times
“Deftly blurring the line between reality and metaphor to create a work of exquisite beauty, joyfully off-kilter humor, and aching sorrow.” — Dan Sheehan for Lit Hub
