Summary

The Beautiful began in Winter 1872 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The unnamed first-person narrator expressed their two deepest truths: that they will always possess an errant young soul and they will always be waiting in the shadows for their love. In “Not What It Seemed,” Celine boarded the CGT Aramis ship in January 1872. She became friends with Pippa, another young woman aboard the ship as it approached New Orleans. Celine reflected on how she wants to escape from her past in France. Celine and Pippa both felt frightened. In “A Study in Contrasts,” the ship arrived and Celine and Pippa boarded a wagon. The streets of the city square were busy with preparations for a carnival parade. A man passed by the wagon and Celine was impressed by how the crowd parted for him.

In “To the Stars,” a young woman named Noémie...