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

Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club)

By Ann Napolitano

  • Release Date: 2023-03-14
  • Genre: Family Fiction & Literature
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 3,262 Ratings

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • MORE THAN ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD! 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

ONE OF THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Post, She Reads, Bookreporter


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

  • 10/10

    5
    By theyadoreliya
    Ground breaking!!!!! Beautiful, coming of age book
  • Hello Beautiful

    5
    By London on Books
    This book is a stunning depiction of exquisite storytelling. I am so grateful to have read its pages.
  • Boring!

    1
    By princesss annoyed
    Whew this was 400 pages of the most boring storyline ever. I wouldn’t recommend this book.
  • Probing challenges of identity

    4
    By Chips Stewart
    This is well written and compelling novel about mental illness and the importance of an “extra pair of eyes” to discover who you can become. Isolated male meets vivacious women who plans his life but when the plan crumbles he turns on himself as undeserving, makes suicide attempt and that open a path to new authentic life for him. This novel contains heartbreaking tragedy, mistakes, forgiveness and love.
  • Slow start but gets better

    3
    By Dakota-xx
    It starts off too slow, taking too long to lay the groundwork for the story. I was invested by the end but it shouldn’t take that long for a book to reel you in.
  • A little women story

    4
    By canbarelyread
    Must read for anyone with sisters
  • Italian family stereotypes, disappointing

    2
    By tura-not-happy
    I wanted to love this book but did not. Though the author likely grew up in an Italian family, as I did, I found the descriptions of family life, esp. those about Rose, egregious and unflattering stereotypes. As others have pointed out, the characters seem to come from a template on how to write the 4-character book. I, too, was speed-reading to see what the “there” was, and felt the end was rushed.
  • Good… but too wordy

    3
    By LTH915
    Thoughtful character development… but at times it seemed like I was reading the same thing over and over again. Slightly disappointing ending and anticlimactic given the complexities of the characters/ storyline. Overall good, but not a favorite.
  • Couldn’t put it down

    5
    By Fix it -___- !!!!!!
    This book made the characters come alive and I felt every emotion reading it such a great read
  • Great read

    5
    By kasupuu super
    Great read with good story line