Beautyland

Marie-Helene Bertino

“‘I don’t know why you’re so bad at Italian,” her mother says that evening over chicken and rice. ‘You’re so good at English!’” p. 107

“The box Dominic gave her sits on the kitchen table as she cooks chicken and rice.” p. 282

“‘I said I’d be happy if I got one snap pea and I got a handful.’” p. 122

“It is a clear, gray morning in Philadelphia. Hot pretzel stacks steam on the boulevard’s divider.” p. 32

“Adina and Dominic reach the part of the boardwalk where everything is closed except a vendor selling watermelon slices and ice cream.” p. 79

“Her mother pulls a bouquet of carrots from the bag, red and orange peppers, a box of penne, a roll of toilet paper.” p.210

“‘Four courses,’ Adina says. ‘Tea, coffee, or orange juice, soup or salad, entree, and dessert. $7.99.’” p.147

“Her mother loves the long, flat ribbon of sand and the predawn car ride so much she allows stop at the McDonald’s drive-through where they order two hash browns and a box of chocolate chip cookies they share during the ride.” p. 105

“They get a great tub of popcorn, buttered, extra salt. He chuckles as she digs her fist into it.” p. 27

“Wine! It’s the worst!

Wine is a liquid people pathologize in the way they talk about it, sell it, in the vessels they put it in. Red wine tastes like a dark-walled library and white wine smells like a woman looking away.” p.221

“Adina’s voice is calm. ‘Are we going to crash?’

He smiles. Would she like water? Coffee?

‘Chardonnay,’ she says.” p. 164

“The man orders decaf, steak, rice pudding. ‘You’re a cute brunette,” he says.

p. 147

“But after a shift, reeking ranch dressing, pick up the phone to call into her friend’s New York life feels similarly impossible.” p. 140