Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino Summary

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino follows Adina Giorno, born in 1977 when Voyager 1 launched into space. She believes she's an extraterrestrial sent to observe humans and report back to her home planet via fax machine. Growing up with her single mother in Northeast Philadelphia, Adina navigates life as an outsider while documenting humanity's oddities, beauties, and terrors, ultimately exploring what it means to belong.

Marie-Helene Bertino is an acclaimed American novelist and short story writer, currently serving as the Ritvo-Slifka Writer-in-Residence at Yale University. A 2025 Guggenheim Fellow, she's authored four novels including Beautyland, Parakeet, and 2 A.M. at The Cat's Pajamas, plus two story collections. Her work has earned numerous honors including the Iowa Short Fiction Award, Pushcart Prize, and PEN/O. Henry Prize.

Beautyland is worth reading for those seeking literary fiction with emotional depth and originality. Named a National Book Critics Circle Finalist and recognized by The New York Times, Time, and The Guardian as a Best Book of 2024, it offers a unique perspective on human connection and belonging. Marie-Helene Bertino's tender prose and inventive narrative structure create an unforgettable meditation on finding beauty in everyday life.

Beautyland appeals to readers who enjoy literary science fiction, character-driven narratives, and stories about feeling different or displaced. It's perfect for fans of unconventional protagonists, those interested in explorations of humanity through an outsider's lens, and readers who appreciate emotionally resonant prose. Anyone who has felt like an alien in their own life will connect deeply with Adina's journey through Philadelphia and beyond.

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino follows the lifecycle of a massive star: Stellar Nebula (Birth), Massive Star (School), Red Supergiant (Work), Supernova (New York City), and Blackhole (Death). This unique structure mirrors Adina's development from childhood to adulthood. The prose flows through concise, thought-to-thought sections that reflect Adina's alien perspective—matter-of-fact observations imbued with curiosity and wit about human existence.

Beautyland explores alienation, belonging, and the fragility of human connection. Marie-Helene Bertino examines what it means to feel like an outsider, the resilience required to navigate an unfamiliar world, and finding beauty in small, ordinary moments. The novel addresses compassion, kindness, and noticing humanity's tenderness through fresh eyes. It ultimately questions whether feeling different makes us less human or more capable of truly seeing one another.

In Beautyland, Adina Giorno sends transmissions to her extraterrestrial relatives via a fax machine her mother rescues from the trash. This deliberately outdated technology serves as the "most advanced means of communication possible" in the story's ironic framing. Adina reports on human behavior, relationships, and Earth's oddities to beings on what she calls Planet Cricket Rice, documenting everything from domestic violence to perfume shopping experiences.

Voyager 1's 1977 launch coincides exactly with Adina Giorno's birth in Beautyland, establishing a symbolic connection between Earth's attempt to communicate with extraterrestrials and an alien's mission to understand humanity. The spacecraft's famous golden record, sent to document human civilization for alien discovery, parallels Adina's fax transmissions documenting human life for her superiors. This dual narrative emphasizes humanity's universal desire for connection across vast distances.

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino blends literary fiction with science fiction elements, focusing on emotional truth rather than technological speculation. Unlike conventional sci-fi, the alien premise serves as a lens for examining human vulnerability, relationships, and everyday beauty. The novel prioritizes intimate character development and poetic observations over plot-driven action. Its setting in 1980s-90s Northeast Philadelphia grounds the fantastical concept in specific, relatable cultural details.

Though Adina is literally an alien, Beautyland resonates as a metaphor for anyone feeling displaced or misunderstood. Marie-Helene Bertino uses Adina's Italian-American single-mother household and working-class Philadelphia setting to layer cultural outsider status with extraterrestrial difference. The novel captures the experience of navigating unfamiliar social codes, economic pressures, and the longing to belong while maintaining a distinct identity—universal feelings magnified through sci-fi lens.

Adina's relationship with her single Sicilian-American mother anchors Beautyland emotionally. Despite being "binary stars," their connection is complicated by Adina's secret alien identity and sense that she must remain detached to fulfill her mission. Her mother, who "cannot afford to be smart with money," provides warmth and moments of joy—like visiting Beautyland's perfume floor—though economic hardship and Adina's hidden purpose create distance between them.

Beautyland speaks to contemporary feelings of disconnection, digital communication barriers, and searching for genuine human connection in an increasingly alienating world. Marie-Helene Bertino's exploration of climate anxiety (the alien planet dying), social isolation, and questioning whether Earth is "inhabitable" resonates with current existential concerns. The novel's emphasis on noticing small beauties and human tenderness offers necessary counterbalance to 2025's persistent anxieties about humanity's future.