Beautifully written. From the first page to the last the emotions are palpable. I just finished the book last night and I am already planning to read it again. It inspires a 'second kind of hope' that you may have never realized was there.

This book immediately captured me. I read it in 2 days, could not put it down. I consider this the best of Rachel Simon's books. The discription is so real it was difficult to remember it was fiction. I recommend it to everyone

I got so bored reading this that I finally gave it about halfway through. I skimmed it to see if I missed anything, but I don't think so.

This book is simply written and can get a bit slow through the middle portion, but it manages to capture some of life in institutions without being overly depressing.

A well written story of lives intertwined by the events of one night. The story also takes a close look at the changes made in the care of people that would have spent there entire lives in institutions.

The book was hard to put down. Plan to read her other book. Definitely believe others will totally enjoy the book.

A compelling story of a long and lasting love.

The story made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. Switching back and forth between characters made it hard to put down the book, because I couldn't wait to get back to the last character to see what happens! The topic of these state "schools" was informative and eye-opening. It's sad to think that this was reality for all too many people. I'm glad we've come such a long way from the social shunning (although we still have a long way to go) and what it means to be institutionalized.

I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down. I have recommended it to many others since. We plan to read it in book club when it's available in paperback.

I didn't care much for this one... The plot is just too incredibly far-fetched: two people in love escape from an institution for the "feebleminded". The woman gives birth to a baby whom she has to entrust to a stranger's care after the institution's staff come after her. The stranger then uproots her entire life in order to raise the baby. Oh, and by the way, the stranger has never raised a baby before, yet somehow manages just fine. Never even a complaint about the baby crying! Yeah, right... The farther along in the book I got, the more outlandish I found the plot becoming.

The most striking aspect of this book was noticing how much legal and cultural views towards people with disabilities has changed in recent years. The setting of this book is an institution that in 1968 still warehoused disabled individuals in unsafe, unclean and abusive situations.

The book started off great...very well written. I enjoyed it. The book ended very strange and left questions. Overall a good read, not great.

As a special education teacher, I had read about Willowbrook and Pennhurst Institutions. This book told the story without being too graphic. I liked the characters, but did think the ending was somewhat hokey.

The main characters are alternately highlighted in the chapters, helping the story to unfold in an interesting and captivating manner. Simon does a great job of enlightening the reader to the horrible conditions that plagued our institutions in the last century, and at the same time tells a compelling love story that transcends time and labels. We discussed the fact that the ending may have been a little hokey, but the general consensus was that we didn't care. We fell in love with the characters.

I love the way this story is set-up. It has a beautiful ending that gives a story book ending.

A gentle read. I can imagine something like this almost happening. A good behind the scenes look at institutions. Well written, although one needs to suspend belief in areas. I liked the characters and the prose.

I was wowed by this book! So impressed by the depth of this author's ability. The book is written from different points of view, including a low-functioning woman and a minimally educated deaf man. Beautiful book, haven't finished yet, but love it!

I am glad to have read this, but was a bit disappointed in the end. The book certainly opened my eyes to how recent these institutions existed. I had thought they were much more in the past.

I could really feel the characters emotions and feelings. I too thought these horrific institutional conditions were very long ago. I am hopeful for the strides we have made in society to accommodate and help those with mental and learning disabilities. The book unravels a very deep, ongoing love.

A real eye-opener to the way things used to be for those with disabilities.

An eye-opening novel about the institutions for the mentally retarded and the terrible conditions that were found in these "schools." The characters are well-developed and the story is amazing. A must read for bookclubs.

Our book club members had mixed reviews about this book. Many had difficulty believing in the characters and the book was slow. However all agreed this book had excellent discussion topics about morality, the mentally disabled community and institutions in the 1960s to today.

Wonderful book

I enjoyed reading this book very much. Other than being a well-written and insightful novel, it depicts the lives of people with disabilities in a loving, humane and inspirational format.

I really enjoyed this book. I think each member of my book club could say that they have known someone who was represented by the patients at the school. It was a beautiful story of love, adaptability, compassion, and respect. I loved how Martha's former students just helped her with no questions asked.

Our book group read The Story of Beautiful Girl this month and had fun discussing the story. It hit close to home with several members. We always rate the book on a scale of 1-5 and this book rated 3.75. We had fun discussing the characters and their challenges throughout the book.

A well-researched look into the institutionalization of children in the 1960's.