Everyone Is Beautiful

A Novel

By: Katherine Center

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Lanie Coates’s life is spinning out of control. She’s piled everything she owns into a U-Haul and driven with her husband, Peter, and their three little boys from their cozy Texas home to a multiflight walkup in the Northeast.

She’s left behind family, friends, and a comfortable life - all so her husband can realize his dream of becoming a professional musician. But somewhere in the eye of her personal hurricane, it hits Lanie that she once had dreams too. These days, Lanie always seems to rank herself dead last - and when another mom accidentally criticizes her appearance, it’s the final straw.

Fifteen years, three babies, and more pounds than she’s willing to count since the day she said “I do,” Lanie longs desperately to feel like her old self again. Lanie sets change in motion - joining a gym, signing up for photography classes, and finding a new best friend. But she also creates waves that come to threaten her whole life. In the end, Lanie must figure out once and for all how to find herself without losing everything else in the process.

©2009 Katherine Carter (P)2009 Random House Audio

a light book that makes you think

I enjoyed this light book that deals with the common problems in marriage: balancing selfishness versus giving, time alone and time with children, keeping desire alive, finding meaning in one's life as a woman and mother. It is well written and entertaining, and it was a great holiday audiobook.

Relatable but annoying

The plot is relatable for most moms but her lack of self-confidence was annoying to me. I know many women feel this way but I found her hard to push forward with the book.

Totally enjoyed this book

I enjoyed the way she presented reality of all of the challenges of parenting toddlers with so much humor. The author did a great job with all the characters - I laughed out loud

A great story for Mom’s

This was so entertaining and the many laugh out loud moments of Motherhood were priceless!
Lanie and Peter lost each other in the day to day life but find each other too.

Finding beauty in the everyday life things and bringing positivity into the story Katherine Center spreads joy with her words.

Loved this book!

Loved the “realness” of this story with the complexities & messiness of parenthood and marriage. Most important is honesty of feeling, emotion, and relationship.

Finished at Long last

This book took me a long time to finish. Not because it was long or difficult to read but because it never caught my interest for long periods of time. It read like a soap opera plays-I could come back and remember right where I left off with all the characters and their nuisances the same. I'm glad I stuck with it and finished it... The end was worth the read.

Lost in Motherhood

Haunting, wholly identifiable and at times ground shaking; A true recounting of loosing pieces of yourself to motherhood. A bit racy at all the right moments. Slow to start but enthralling at the end. I continue to wonder about the characters.

A MUST FOR ALL MOTHERS!!

What did you love best about Everyone Is Beautiful?

As a mother to 5 I can totally identify with this book. When you become a mother you lose yourself and it is so hard to see your way out. I have never read a book that addresses this issue. It was a fiction book but has a lot of truth to it. I adores this book.

What does Kirsten Potter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Wonderful narration.

Not my favorite of Katherine Centet

I enjoyed this story but it’s not my favorite of Katherine Center. I really like How to Walk Away, FWIW. This is also the first I’ve listened to, so I may be prefer paper for her works.

Heartfelt

Author & narrator made a great combo! Thank you Katherine Center for a deeply felt portrait of relationships, bodies and friendships shifting over time. Thanks also for a rich setting, some lol moments and descriptions that brought it all to life.