Hello Beautiful

A Novel

By: Ann Napolitano

Narrated by: Maura Tierney

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.

©2023 Ann Napolitano (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Radiant and brilliantly crafted . . . Napolitano’s [work] resists the easy satisfactions of the sentimental and never settles for simple answers to emotional predicaments faced by her characters.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“This sumptuous family saga is one of those rare novels whose singular characters are so beautifully rendered, it’s as if they’re your best friends, and you’re grateful to be in their orbit.”—Oprah Quarterly

“Hello Beautiful will make you weep buckets because you come to care so deeply about the characters and their fates. . . . [Napolitano] compels us to contemplate the complex tapestry of family love that can, despite grief and loss, still knit us together. She helps us see ourselves—and each other—whole.”—The Washington Post

Couldn’t get past the monotone narration

Really couldn’t push past the monotone and emotionless narration. Not engaging at all. Almost as if the performance sucked the life out of whatever structure and flow this book had. Returned the audiobook and going to read paperback version instead.

Mixed Emotions about the Book

At first I didn’t like the narrator but then I realized that she fit the narrative. And then I realized I didn’t like the story. I mean I liked the story okay at times but I couldn’t put my finger on what it is about this book that is slaying people and eliciting 5 star reviews. Closer to the end I was choked with emotion at the story of Silvie but feel neutral about most parts of the book. I don’t know. I’m not sad I listened to it and it was a good story but also not a favorite for me.

Disappointed

An emotional story of a family with struggles, love, and loss. It’s ok. And while I admire Maura Tierney as an actor, she is not a good narrator. Her reading is very flat and she’s an odd choice for such a book as this. Her reading is monotone and emotionless and not performed or narrated in an engaging manner.

I did'nt want the book the end!!

When I first started the book I thought it was starting out pretty slow and didn't know if I could continue, but I did and I couldn't stop listening.
It has many different characters and the author took their time in introducing them so we could remember their own personal story throughout. You could feel all the characters emotions throughout this book, you could feel when they were happy and excited but also their sadness and heart break. You will want to smile one minute and cry the next. Will immediately be listening to another book from this Author!

Wonderfully written.

This author has great insight into the human condition and wonderful depth of each character. I loved it. Also the narration was pleasant

Families are complicated

My 1st 5 star book for the year. I liked how the complexity of each character grew and was revealed over time. Each character deals with love, loss, pain in their own way. Each character has the choice to heal, or not, over time. Beautifully captures how we view our siblings and our future lives unfolding as children isn’t usually how life plays out. We can’t help who we love. We don’t know what broken rules we can forgive in relationships until it happens to us. If you’ve been taken in and loved by a new family after not feeling loved at home, “Hello Beautiful” will resonate within you.

Inside the world of a complex family of sisters

Compelling, dramatic, very psychological. Sometimes seeing inside these characters seems too much! Their connections seem unbearable! But this might be jealousy on my part—I’m a woman in a disconnected family.
Napolitano pulls the closeness, the injuries, the secrets revealed, all together in the final scene like a good novelist. Would real life be so satisfying!

I never write reviews but...

My first real review after reading hundreds of books on audible. This book was precious. It tugged at my heart in every way. I can't explain how simple it was and yet so incredibly complicated when delving into issues like pride, disappointment, tradition, abandonment, depression, friendship and unconditional love. I could not put it down, it felt like a gift. And I would ignore any negative comments about the narrator, Her narration was simple and perfect in the sense that she let the words speak for themselves...she didn't need to use charactery voices or tricks...she got out of the way of the author just telling a beautiful and soulful story in itself. I read Dear Edward and it was nothing compared to this, in my opinion. This one will become a movie I'm sure, and I cannot even begin to imagine many actors and actresses who could come close to nailing these characters. Really masterful.

Well woven

Hard to put down reading in 2 days. Not necessarily believable story of sisters living on top of each other but it worked to support the parts.

Enthralling

I was completely caught up on this book and the world the author created. The narrator's vice is pleasant, she reads fluently, and get pronunciation is excellent. However, her tone and her choice if which words in a sentence to emphasize are odd. I found this irritating and distracting.