I purchased this book and audiobook for my own personal collection.
Publisher: The Dial Press / Random House Audio
Published: March 14, 2023
Summary:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Edward comes a poignant and engrossing family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole?
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.
My thoughts:
This is one of those books that was getting all the hype and it definitely deserves every last accolade it is being given. I ended up selecting it as one of my Book of the Month choices in March and I’m so glad I did, even though I ended up listening to the book. I just wanted a copy of the book to have on my bookshelf…I mean that cover alone is worth showing. Isn’t it just gorgeous?
I cannot get over how much I loved this book and I know it will be one that I will reread again and again. Having just read Little Women not too long ago, I found the homage paid to it to be just the right touch. If you’ve never read Little Women, you wouldn’t be missing out on anything, but if you have, you know and you will see little touches here and there. I love family sagas and this one is so richly layered and full of emotion and complex characters.
I loved the way I felt about the characters. It was such a range – from loving to despising and everything in between. And the relationship between the sisters was so vividly drawn. Again, as I’ve mentioned many times, I love books that explore these relationships, having two sisters myself and I felt that the author does it so authentically here. The ebb and flow of the relationship between the sisters felt so real.
This is a book that I know I will not be forgetting any time soon and it is one that I know will make for a great book club discussion. In fact, I think I might be having my book club read it because I just loved it so much, and selfishly I want an excuse to read it again!
This was my first experience reading Ann Napolitano but it definitely will not be my last. I am now very eager to read Dear Edward, which was another buzz-worthy read by her.
Audio thoughts:
When I saw that Maura Tierney was narrating this book, I knew I had to listen to it and I’m so glad I did. She did an amazing job bringing this book to life and I found myself not wanting to stop listening because I was so engaged in the story. I will now be checking out what else Maura has narrated because she has such a pleasing voice to listen to.
