Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club) - Ann Napolitano

Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club)

By Ann Napolitano

  • Release Date: 2023-03-14
  • Genre: Family
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 2,221 Ratings
$13.99 On itunes Buy on Amazon

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • From the author of Dear Edward comes a “powerfully affecting” (People) family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole?

“Another tender tearjerker . . . Napolitano chronicles life’s highs and lows with aching precision.”—The Washington Post

William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him—so when he meets the spirited and ambitious Julia Padavano in his freshman year of college, it’s as if the world has lit up around him. With Julia comes her family, as she and her three sisters are inseparable: Sylvie, the family’s dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book; Cecelia is a free-spirited artist; and Emeline patiently takes care of them all. With the Padavanos, William experiences a newfound contentment; every moment in their house is filled with loving chaos.

But then darkness from William’s past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia’s carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters’ unshakeable devotion to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations. Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most?

An exquisite homage to Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic, Little Women, Hello Beautiful is a profoundly moving portrait of what is possible when we choose to love someone not in spite of who they are, but because of it.

Reviews

  • A masterpiece

    5
    By margie j.
    I blew off my entire day and read it in one sitting. Beautiful story, beautifully written.

  • Long and Repetive

    3
    By GLC2551
    Interesting in many ways with some great insight but I felt relief when it ended.

  • Thumbs up

    5
    By Jiil L
    Amazing, heartbreaking

  • Good Read

    4
    By Gogetlo
    I always enjoy family dramas and this one is no exception. Wraps up pretty neatly.

  • Didn’t love this

    2
    By JMRW
    I found the characters flat, one dimensional, and the plot predictable. I thought this was kind of a corny book. I expected better of an Oprah’s Book Club selection for some reason and this was a disappointment. There was one passage I really liked, though — where Kent, I think, talked to Alice about people who die when they’re old being like old trees whose roots have loosened in the earth so the tree falls softly, but those who die too young have their roots ripped violently from the earth in a way that’s painful and disturbing to witness. I’ve lost loved ones old and young, and I found that analogy very apt and very moving.

  • Slow and tedious read

    3
    By MissRx929
    This was a hard read for me. It captured my attention at first but was repetitive and dragged on at the end. I recommend skipping this one, so many other great books to spend your time on.

  • Hello Beautiful

    4
    By Readingbythesea
    Sorry, it’s not a story I couldn’t put down. The story repeated itself, not one I would probably recommend.

  • I looked forward to this book…

    4
    By Ti$$@ny
    Each day I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next with this family. Although the ending left me wanting and felt rushed I really liked it.

  • Family saga

    4
    By Painting Enthusiast
    I liked the family bond, disliked the length of time it took for them to reunite.

  • Beautifully Heartbreaking

    4
    By Richard Bakare
    Ann Napolitano has crafted a timeless story centered around the perpetual human fault of talking but not listening. “Hello Beautiful” highlights how we rarely know everyone in their truest sense no matter how much we talk to them. This lack of understanding can set us up to idealize or make villainous people without really knowing them. So much of the dialogue is used to spotlight the way we often say, “why didn’t you tell me,” when the real question is, “why didn’t you ask?” Napolitano leans into this dynamic along with our innate need for privacy to walk us through the lives of unintentionally messy people. Principally we get a family that is broken, healed, and then reformed by the truth. Even in the healing moments Napolitano’s pacing and scene setting shows us how pride costs us so much in time and connections. Moreover, we glimpse for some characters the freedom, even if limited, that self realization brings. Contrastingly we see the false sense of surety other characters wrap themselves in through their need for control. In the end this novel shows us how in the end that trying to escape the past leaves one doomed to repeat it. In that way it is beautifully heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Napolitano’s clever use of time jumps and perspective changes gives us the full 360 of life. “Hello Beautiful” will give you a little bit of everything love has to offer; the humor, love, and seething frustrations.

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