In 2016, I read Jung Yun's Shelter and was completely blown away. So it was an easy decision to pick up O Beautiful, a story that follows a woman as she attempts to jumpstart a new career and direction for her life, taking an assignment that brings her close to where she grew up.
The Situation: Now in her 40s, Elinor Hanson is over and done with the modeling business. She has now completed her graduate degree, and receives an incredible opportunity from her former professor. It is an opportunity to write a real article, for a real publication. But why her? Turns out the article is about the oil boom in North Dakota and the impact it has had on the area, an area that Elinor is incredibly familiar with since she grew up there. But when she heads out to the small, but suddenly booming town of Avery, the trip is immediately challenging, and not at all what Elinor thought it would be. With the notes from her mentor, as well as a list of contacts, Elinor decides to move forward and do what she came to do, which leads to as many discoveries about herself and her own attitudes as much as it does about the area she came to write about.
The Problem: Elinor is used to the stares and gawking, as well as the questions. If it isn't about her beauty, then it is because she is Asian, with a few being able to recognize that she is actually biracial. And in a place like Avery that is mostly men, this all comes with a healthy amount of aggression. Also, in a place like Avery, where many of the longtime residents are not too thrilled with the range of newcomers the oil boom has brought, how Elinor looks is often met with derision and condescension. It also becomes apparent to her that her former professor has his own ideas for how she should write the article. But the more Elinor researches, and the more she talks to people, the more she wants to take the story in a different direction. Sure, the oil boom is a big deal, but so is the tensely charged atmosphere, the sexual aggression, and the unmitigated greed. Whatever Elinor decides to do, it will be a challenge with plenty of roadblocks.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction that is set in and around present-day North Dakota, with a focus on the transformation of a small town due to an oil boom. What was once a small sleepy town with very little going for it has become a town that is still small, but with an incredible amount of activity that the locals were not ready for. The prices for rooms at even the cheapest motel are at a premium; churches set up make-shift men-only shelters for those who have not managed to find housing, or do not live out of their car or RV; and there are so few women, men hit on Elinor at nearly every turn. And then there is Elinor's own complicated past, and her relationship to her former professor. Her memories of growing up in a place much like Avery are not exactly pleasant, and there are some decisions she made in her adult life that she is now recalling, no matter how painful and regrettable.
My Verdict: I knew from the synopsis on the book jacket that this was going to be a tough read, and I was right. But this was made even more difficult by the character of Elinor. I have fought through many books with difficult narrators or main characters, but Elinor was unlikable enough for it to have an effect on my enjoyment of the story. She grates at the unfairness of being judged on how she looks, both because of her beauty and because she is biracial, but she also judges everyone else, often holding everyone else to a higher standard than she holds herself. And her beauty is mentioned almost constantly. Then there is her tendency to make colossal mistakes, and then be surprised at their consequences. It is also unclear what this book is attempting to do. There is the oil boom, the incessant attention from men, the dislike of outsiders, Elinor's past and dynamic with her family, as well as her history with her professor, and the subject of violent crimes against women. All are substantial areas to mine through, but none of them are executed well here.
Favorite Moment: Elinor must finally confront the truth about her college experience.
Favorite Character: Pretty much everyone in this book is deeply flawed, which is fine, but made it difficult to root for anyone.
Recommended Reading: I still recommend Yun's Shelter, but I will also mention the young adult novel Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley.
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