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    Cruel Beautiful World
    Cruel Beautiful World
    Cruel Beautiful World
    Audiobook10 hours

    Cruel Beautiful World

    Written by Caroline Leavitt

    Narrated by Xe Sands

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Caroline Leavitt is at her mesmerizing best in this haunting, nuanced portrait of love, sisters, and the impossible legacy of family. It's 1969, and sixteen-year-old Lucy is about to run away with a much older man to live off the grid in rural Pennsylvania, a rash act that will have vicious repercussions for both her and her older sister, Charlotte. As Lucy's default caretaker for most of their lives, Charlotte's youth has been marked by the burden of responsibility, but never more so than when Lucy's dream of a rural paradise turns into a nightmare.Cruel Beautiful World examines the intricate, infinitesimal distance between seduction and love, loyalty and duty, and explores what happens when you're responsible for things you cannot make right.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHighbridge Company
    Release dateOct 4, 2016
    ISBN9781681682013
    Cruel Beautiful World
    Author

    Caroline Leavitt

    Caroline Leavitt is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Is This Tomorrow, Pictures of You, and eight other novels. Is This Tomorrow was a January magazine Best Book of 2013, a May Indie Next Pick, and a San Francisco Chronicle Lit Pick. Pictures of You was a Costco Pennie’s Pick and was on the Best Books of 2013 lists by Kirkus Reviews, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Providence Journal, and Bookmarks magazine. Leavitt’s new novel, Cruel Beautiful World, will be published by Algonquin Books in 2015. Her work has appeared in New York magazine, “Modern Love” in the New York Times, Salon, Redbook, More magazine, and more. She teaches writing at UCLA Extension Writers Program and Stanford and reviews books for People magazine, the Boston Globe, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She can be reached at Carolineleavitt.com.

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    Reviews for Cruel Beautiful World

    4/5

    173 ratings56 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Cruel Beautiful World has a cover showing feminine adolescent tranquility which is completely belied by its plot. True to its title, the book is full of cruelty but Leavitt's depiction of various narrative voices -- including notably the viewpoint of a human predator -- makes it something much more rare than a literary exploration of the darker side of human psychology. It is a first-rate thriller distinguished by its rare ambition in seeking a multi-dimensional depiction of its villain. I couldn't put this page-turner down, and with Leavitt's clean, cold, evocative prose I certainly didn't want to do so either!Please be advised I received a free copy of this novel through the LibraryThing Early Reviewer Giveaway program in exchange for posting this honest review.
    • 4/5
      Caroline Leavitt is a new author to me and I am so glad I won this ARC fro Library Thing. After the death of their parents, rhe care of Lucy and Charlotte is handed to Iris. Lucy and Charlotte are now aware that Iris is actually their older sister. Charlotte is the responsible younger sister whereas Lucy is flighty and dreamy. Lucy runs off with one of her high school teachers never to see her sisters again. The book follows the life that Lucy has with the controlling William, the ageing issues that Charlotte must confront with Iris and the grief that the sisters have being separated from Lucy.This was such a wonderful book and a nice depiction of the 1970s.
    • 4/5
      Thank you, LT Early Reviewers, for my copy of Cruel Beautiful World.I am a fan of Caroline Leavitt, especially of her novel, Is This Tomorrow. I think her writing is deceptively simple and her characters surprisingly complex.The novel is set in the 1970s. I realized it was crucial to the story of Lucy's disappearance that the time period predates our own era of cell phones and laptops and constant communication. Lucy impulsively runs away with her high school teacher, whom she loves, without realizing she is entering an abusive relationship where she loses control of her life.What is really interesting about the book is that it is not really plot - driven. Instead Leavitt gives us careful character studies of Lucy, her sister Charlotte, their guardian and half-sister Iris, and even of Patrick, a fruit stand owner that befriends Lucy. Iris' and Patrick's back stories are given just as much importance as the story of the two sisters. This is not crime fiction. The story feels very real, life and loss as lived by real people. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, free love and the Manson murders, Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt is a bittersweet novel about two sisters who discover that life very rarely lives up the their dreams.

      After their parents' death when they were young, Charlotte and Lucy moved in with their much older, distant relative Iris. At one time extremely close, the sisters began drifting apart as teens and by the time Lucy disappears, Charlotte has no idea what is going on her sister's life. At the urging of Iris, she goes to college as planned but she is soon struggling to keep up academically with her fellow students. Meanwhile, Lucy's life with her thirty year old teacher boyfriend William Lallo is slowly falling apart as she grows increasingly unhappy at their remote home in rural Pennsylvania. Iris is trying to come to terms with her empty nest while at the same time dealing with the realities of growing older. After Lucy's life with William completely unravels, Charlotte tries to make sense of what happened to her sister in the year since she and Iris last saw her.

      Oldest sister Charlotte is rather shy and serious but she is fiercely protective of Lucy. Determined to get into a good college, she is focused on getting stellar grades and acing her SAT. Completely consumed by thoughts of her future, Charlotte does not even notice when she and Lucy begin to drift apart. After Lucy runs away, she realizes she knows absolutely nothing about her sister's life in the months leading up to her disappearance but this does not stop her from trying to find Lucy. After her hard work in school leads to an academic scholarship to a prestigious college, Iris insists she follow her dream instead of remaining at home with her. Charlotte is stunned by the reality of life on campus as her hopes of finally fitting in are quickly shattered and worse, she is struggling in all of her classes. An out of the blue phone call from Lucy resurrects old resentments, but Charlotte puts aside her feelings to try to rescue her sister.

      Lucy is a bit of free spirit who struggles to live up to her teacher's expectations. When popular teacher William Lallo takes a special interest in her, she is excited and thrilled to finally have a class she excels in. When their relationship takes a romantic turn, Lucy sees nothing wrong with a thirty year old man loving her but she knows society will not turn a blind eye to their romance. As the school year draws to a close, she eagerly looks forward to them leaving and starting a new life together in Pennsylvania. Dismayed to find herself living in isolation with no friends and plenty of empty hours to fill while William is at work, Lucy soon falls out of love but with no money or job skills, she feels trapped by her impetuous decision. Trying to find some measure of independence from William, she begins roaming the countryside where she befriends the owner of vegetable stand, Patrick. Convincing him to let her work for him, Lucy's yearning to escape William continues to grow but will she find a way to escape her controlling boyfriend?

      Taking place during the tumultuous late 60s and early 70s, Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt is a compelling character driven novel that is beautifully written. While heavy foreshadowing leaves little doubt how Lucy's story will end, Charlotte's story arc is less defined but just as intriguing. The storyline is somewhat poignant yet ultimately uplifting as it wends its way to a satisfying conclusion.
    • 4/5
      I picked up this book blind on someone else's reaction and it just swept me away. I love it when that happens. Set in 1969, the story opens with Lucy, a high school sophomore, running away with her English teacher. Her older sister and adoptive mother are left to grapple with her disappearance, while Lucy herself discovers her new life was not the fantasy she'd envisioned. All of the characters became so real to me as the story unfolded, especially the girls' guardian, Iris, who is also coping with getting older and losing her independence. This is a bittersweet story that rings absolutely true.
    • 4/5
      Lucy and Charlotte are sisters. Charlotte is studious and straight laced. Ever since their parents died when they were small children, Charlotte has felt responsible for Lucy. And keeping Lucy in line is a hard job. She’s not studious and is kind of flighty. She doesn’t always make the best decisions as evidence by the fact that she runs away with her boyfriend William, who is currently her high school English teacher. They move to an isolated area in the middle of nowhere and Lucy soon learns that William isn’t the man she thought he was.The description on the inside flap of this book said it was “set against a backdrop of peace, love, and the Manson murders,” which I was looking forward too since I’ve always been intrigued by the Manson family and have read books and listened to podcasts about them. However, I was disappointed that they were only briefly mentioned and didn’t have much bearing on the story. The other criticism I have is that although the book is set in the 1960s, the characters say words and phrases that weren’t common until later like, “It is what it is.”Cruel Beautiful World was one of my book club’s selections. Lucy’s relationship with William gave us a lot to talk about. I won’t say much more because I don’t want to give anything away.The characters in Cruel Beautiful World are complex and well-developed. All of the characters have a rich back-story, especially Iris, the girls’ guardian. There were a couple of surprises in the plot that I didn’t see coming. As Lucy’s relationship with William progresses, Leavitt creates an atmosphere thick with foreboding that kept my stomach in knots. I enjoyed this book and think it makes for a great summer read.
    • 4/5
      Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down! Cruel Beautiful World tells the story of one family in the 60s. Sixteen year old Lucy runs away with her older boyfriend and her sister Charlotte and adoptive mother Iris are left wondering what happened. The book flashes between all three as they lead separate lives for the first time ever - Lucy realizing she made a mistake and tries to return home, Charlotte beginning her freshman year in college and Iris finding love at her senior center. Fantastic book with a twist that caught me off guard and hungry for more!
    • 4/5
      I received this book as an advanced reader from LibraryThing's early reviewer program. I enjoyed the story line in this book. This is a story about a young girl who falls in love with her teacher. The time period is during the 1970's.You have Lucy a young teenage girl who becomes smitten with her young good looking teacher who doesn't teach in the conventional way. He helps her with her writing and she becomes more drawn into his life. This is during a time of when we as a society are going through the Open Love, and Peace etc. The teacher knows it is wrong so when she leaves with him it is to a secluded area. He doesn't want to be arrested because it would be considered kidnapping. Lucy being young doesn't really understand because she loves him and it should be fine for them to be together. As time progresses she starts to feel secluded and scared. She thinks about the Manson girls and if something like that could happen to her.The rash decision has it repercussions for Lucy and her older sister Charlotte and also their mother Iris. Charlotte wants to know the truth as to why Lucy did what she did. Will she discover this truth and how will it affect Charlotte in the long run.
    • 5/5
      CRUEL BEAUTIFUL WORLD by Caroline LeavittLucy, 16 and naive, runs away with her High School teacher. Their life together in an isolated, and isolating, rural area is not what Lucy expected. Lucy is portrayed sympathetically. The reader gets to know her intimately through her thoughts and actions. William, the teacher, is not so well known. His back story is presented in back flashes. His life with Lucy is seen only through her eyes. Lucy’s sister, a minor but very important character, never gives up searching for her sister.The reader is constantly aware that “this will not end well”, but the actual ending is dramatic and terrifying. You will remember this book for a long time.5 of 5 stars
    • 4/5
      This story takes place in the early 1970's, a time of upheaval, war, free love and the ongoing Manson trials. Two girls, older studious, conservative sister Charlotte and Lucy, a few years younger but a free spirit suddenly lose their parents in a tragic accident and Iris is asked to care for them. Iris is widowed, older and no children of her own, wonders if this is a good idea. But not wanting the girls to go into foster care, she agrees. The girls are uncertain of this new relationship until Iris brings up the subject of adoption. Afterwards the three of them are one happy family for awhile. Or so Iris thinks. Charlotte is busy trying to keep her grades up, looking and applying to colleges - her head in books and SAT exams. Barely noticing Lucy, she is shocked one day to find Lucy is gone! Vanished with only a small note saying she's fine.Lucy the city girl has run away with her free thinking 30 year old teacher, William, who takes them to the backwoods of Pennsylvania to a cabin. He plans to live off the grid with chickens that he expects Lucy to feed and gather eggs, clean house, make meals and be happy by herself all day while he teaches in a new school. She is to stay put, call no one, talk to no one, make friends with no one as she is a minor. At first Lucy thinks this is romantic. Until she gets bored. There are other story lines within this story that the reader will have to discover on their own.Although it is told by different POV, the author has woven each beautifully. 3.5 stars
    • 4/5
      This is an odd little page turner about Lucy, an orphaned teenager who runs away from her guardian and her big sister to live with William, a 30-something English teacher in rural Pennsylvania. Their life together seems idyllic at first, but eventually William becomes more and more controlling and Lucy finds her infatuation abating as she starts to feel like a prisoner.I enjoyed the book, even though it felt a little cheesy at times. I identified with Charlotte’s dull, steady older sister and especially liked her guardian, Iris, who didn’t get enough pages in my opinion. The tone of the book was all over the place, first very relationship-y and women’s fiction-y and then turning into fast-paced suspense. Overall, a well-crafted bit of escape.
    • 4/5
      1969. Angst of a generation and a sixteen year old girl. Love of an elderly relative for the two parentless girls, and they for each other and for her. Yet there are things unknown about each of them. Cruel Beautiful World catapults quickly into the story of sixteen year-old Lucy, who runs away with her teacher, then slowly unfolds the rest of the story about her, her sister, Charlotte, and their guardian, Iris. Caroline Leavitt captured the era well, and wrote the three women’s thoughts and hearts believably. At first, I was dissatisfied with the denouement, but came to the conclusion that I was wrong – this is how it would have been. Nice work, Ms. Leavitt.
    • 4/5
      I received this book through LibrayThing Early Reviews program. I was very excited to receive this book because I love Caroline Leavitt. And, I wasn't disappointed by this one, I read it straight through. Charlotte and Lucy are orphaned at an early age and are taken in by an elderly relative who loves them both dearly. Lucy can't wait to grow up and leave their small town behind and does so at age sixteen with her teacher. This act changes life, not only for her but also for her sister and aunt who are left behind not knowing where she is. The time period of the 60's is a main character as well and there is a real sense of place and time in this book. Excellent, recommended.
    • 2/5
      Cruel Beautiful World is a written in a technically acceptable way; the word choices are good, the phrasing is correct, flow is smooth. But it doesn’t shine with any great appeal. The story is mildly interesting and the ending predictable, but it doesn’t take us anywhere that we haven’t been before. There is no moment when we realize that the author has given us further insight into love or death or teenage angst, or the need of some to love and others to control.
    • 4/5
      *I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*Time and place are vividly depicted in this rather tragic novel about two sisters, Charlotte and Lucy. Orphaned at a young age, they are raised by an elderly relative and grow to become very different - Charlotte is studious and quiet while Lucy is more outgoing and vivacious. Everything changes for both when Lucy runs away with one of her teachers to live in rural Pennsylvania, throwing her concerned family into turmoil. As Lucy's situation becomes more desperate, her family slowly comes to terms with what they cannot change and must learn to live with. Good reading and highly recommended for those interested in the late 60s.
    • 5/5
      This book was amazing. It was moving, thought provoking and hard to put down. I felt a lot of things while reading this book and I am certain every reader will find themselves connected to this book in some way. This is also a great book for book clubs.
    • 4/5
      Iris is sixty-seven when she takes in two small girls after their parents have been killed in a car wreck. She doesn't tell them she is their sister, that they are daughters of the same womanizing man who drifts from one young wife to another, she only says she is a distant relative. She becomes a good mother and the girls bring her a joy she thought she would never have. The girls, Charlotte and Lucy, are very close during their childhood and Charlotte carefully watches over her younger sister. Once they become teens though, a distance begins to grow between the studious Charlotte and the free spirited Lucy. When Lucy is sixteen she falls in love with one of her teachers. It's the 1960s and William fascinates the students, particularly the girls. He's handsome, wears his hair long, opposes the war in Vietnam, doesn't teach from a textbook and encourages his students to question authority. Not surprisingly, he loses his job.Unknown to Iris or Charlotte, by this time Lucy and William have a personal relationship. When William tells Lucy he has a job in Pennsylvania, he asks her to leave Boston with him and she agrees. He also makes her agree not to let anyone know because she's a minor and "they might not understand". When they arrive at the house William has rented for them, Lucy is shocked at the rural and isolated location he has chosen. The school is about 30 minutes away, the closest store is 45 minutes in the opposite direction. There are no close neighbors. Lucy tries to build a life with William but as time passes she begins to realize the romantic relationship she thought she had is something else.
    • 3/5
      Caroline Leavitt is a very talented author, and in this book creates a multi-layered story, with complex characters. The skill of the author, and some engaging characters, kept me involved in this book, even though I found elements of the story difficult, and perhaps too familiar. I think it seemed too much like my work in child welfare, to read about a 16 year old girl who is seduced by, and runs away with, a 30 year old man. And the increasing attempts at control by this man were also reminiscent of families with whom I have worked, and portrayed a looming threat of violence. I recently read an interview done on NPR with the author, as a link was provided by an earlier reviewer, and those pieces of Ms. Leavitt’s own personal history reveal why this story developed as it did. This book was provided to me by LibraryThing, the publisher, and the author.
    • 3/5
      This was my first experience with Caroline Leavitt's work, and while I enjoyed Cruel Beautiful World, it was not a standout read for me. The time period is a fascinating one, with the Manson trial playing in the backdrop of Lucy and Charlotte's story, but it didn't seem like a real part of the story. It seems as if Leavitt just threw that in to tell you when the events where happening, but didn't really capture the essence of the time period. Leavitt does write characters very well, though, and Charlotte, Lucy, Iris, and Patrick are all fully fleshed-out people, and I wanted to know how their stories were going to turn out. I look forward to reading more of this author's work, as I know many readers rave about her talent.
    • 3/5
      In Cruel beautiful World, Leavitt tells the story of a family - Iris, Lucy, and Charlotte. This novel is a search for love and truth. It tells of yearning and dreaming and the realization that things are not always as they seem or how we hope them to be. Good story, though a little drawn out. Characters are well developed, but I can not always figure out if I like them all or not. Could be Leavitt's way of showing the various sides of people. Pretty good read.
    • 4/5
      This was a fun summer title. Easy to get involved with the characters and story. Brought this along on vacation and my friend borrowed it.from me.
    • 4/5
      Lucy, a teenage girl growing up in 1969 Boston, runs away from home with her English teacher, settling in rural Pennsylvania to avoid being found. She leaves behind Charlotte, her older sister, and Iris, the woman who the girls have grown up calling their mother. Charlotte & Iris are understandably devastated & struggle to come to terms with Lucy's disappearance. The story alternates viewpoints, exploring Lucy's life in Pennsylvania, Charlotte's struggle to come into her own, and Iris' past and present life. There are several different story lines going on in this one, with a few small surprises along the way.While I can't claim to have loved this book, it was a decent enough read, although I did find a few aspects a little unbelievable. (The age gaps with some of the characters for one, as well as a full 2-week debilitating flu episode which seems highly unlikely in more or less modern times.) I read this on audio, and Xe Sands is not necessarily my favorite reader, which may have affected some of my lack of enjoyment in the story.
    • 4/5
      I am completely behind on reviews, but need to get this off my currently reading list. Hopefully, I can come back and add a real review at some point.
    • 4/5
      Herein lies both an interesting novel with two distinct points of view - actually five, as other major characters also have their say when they unwind their own stories. Young sisters Lucy and Charlotte lose both parents and are taken in by Iris, a widow who, unbeknownst to them, is their half sister. Lucy, as many teenage girls do, falls in love with one of her teachers, William - but unlike 99% of us, they run away together. With the fear of prison for William, Lucy is kept isolated in a rural farmhouse and begins to regret her decision. She is platonically befriended by Patrick, a widower who senses that something's wrong but fails to act. Enter Charlotte, studious and serious, who is finally summoned to Lucy's rescue, but arrives too late to prevent tragedy. The voice switches abruptly from Lucy's to Charlotte's, and the remaining words belong to her, William, Iris, and Patrick, all seeking to minimize their pain with no expectations of happiness. A likable book - not revelatory but somehow really thoughtful.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book that I received as an ARC through Librarything. Once I got about halfway through, I couldn't put it down and finished it in one day. Great, well-developed characters and story.
    • 5/5
      Leavitt has written terrific books, “Pictures of You” and “Is This Tomorrow” among them, but “Cruel Beautiful World” is her best book yet. She has taken her writing to an entirely new level, and she has garnered so much deserved praise for this one.“Cruel Beautiful World” is the simply the best novel I have read in a long time, and if you enjoy a story that you can lost in, this is the one for you. The characters are simply unforgettable and I give it my highest recommendation.
    • 4/5
      With a backdrop of the tumultuous year of 1969, this novel explores love, family, relationships and fitting in. Sixteen year old Lucy lives with her elderly relative, Iris, when she runs away with her high school teacher leaving Iris and sister, Charlotte, devastated. The relationships and love lives of these three women are thoroughly and beautifully created and the lives of the side characters are very well explored. I did find myself wishing that the sixties played even a bigger role in the story but overall I found this to be both a beautiful and surprisingly suspenseful story. I received this from the LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt is the story of two teenage sisters growing up in the 1960's. Charlotte is the older sister, just getting ready to graduate from high school and leave for college. She has always felt a responsibility to look out for her younger sister, Lucy, and protect her first from their irresponsible and manipulative parents and then, after they move in with Iris, from the world at large. Lucy is sixteen and thinks she is mature and ready to experience life. Innocent flirting with the unconventional English teacher turns into a secret relationship. On the last day of school, Lucy and William run away together leaving Charlotte and Iris devastated. They believe that Lucy has disappeared, run off or been abducted. This is definitely a page-turner. It has good suspense and is well-written.(Review based on complimentary Advance Reader copy.)
    • 5/5
      I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers program. It is the story of two sisters- Charlotte and Lucy. It also is the story of Iris- the aunt/ half sister that is raising the girls as her own. When Lucy runs away with one of her high school teachers, all three lives are changed forever. This is a great story about the bonds of sisterhood and family. I absolutely loved this story and though the ending isn't the traditional ending one would expect, it is the perfect ending. Great read!
    • 5/5
      As I started reading this novel, I felt it was very ordinary, but as I read on I grew to love this book. Lucy runs off with her high school teacher, William, and leaves a very vague note for her adopted mother, Iris, and her sister, Caroline. Lucy and William settle in a rural area, and Iris and Caroline try to find clues to where Lucy has gone. Great book!