How Beautiful They Were
Beginning in 1850s London, England, John James Beaufort’s views on acting are what make this novel uniquely amazing. Rather than focus only on the character one is playing, John James believes one’s inner thoughts, feelings, and conscience should be used to create riveting characters that make the audience identify with their sufferings and joys. His time in London is brief, as he falls in love with Lucretia, a stage manager’s daughter, and winds up killing the father who murders her.
John James changes his name to Nathaniel Luck and escapes to New York, the place that was, then, the Hollywood of theatre. Nathaniel and his friend Robert Harrison begin to write plays and form an acting company to expose the corruption, political machinations, and social injustice rampant across the country. In the process of producing certain plays, they also run a portion of the Underground Railroad that secretly conveys escaped slaves to Canada. Among the different women in Nathaniel’s life is a black woman who is “white enough” to pass.
This story is riveting and filled with violence, lies, betrayal, fire, and regular escapes; Nathaniel and Robert turn these events into art, which pulls in theater-goers. Actors draw on their inferior status to become noble and universal. How Beautiful They Were is a seamless narrative of the characters’ hunger for the joys and freedom of liberty, an evocative work of historical fiction that makes darkness seem bright and beautiful. Unforgettable and highly recommended!
