'Hello Beautiful' by Ann Napolitano is a heartwarming tale of family dynamics and especially of sisterhood; a retelling of 'Little Women' for today.

I loved Dear Edward, Ann Naolitano’s, first novel. Unfortunately though I quite liked parts of Hello Beautiful I didn’t think it was as good as Dear Edward. I couldn’t take to certain characters and in some ways that spoiled the story.

A big, sweeping family drama with complex, memorable characters and beautiful writing. The story takes a while to really get going, but overall I really enjoyed it.

I love love LOVED this book - it was easily the best book I've read in over a year. I loved the characters, the way the sisters were written to be so intwined and involved. I loved the way we jumped from different viewpoint to viewpoint; each having such a distinctive outlook that it was not at all confusing (like it can be sometimes). Honestly, it was perfect. Thank you for this ARC, I've already been recommending the book to so many people.

It's hard not to warm at least a little to this Chicago-set family saga that focuses on the four Padavano sisters, Julia, Sylvie, Emeline and Cecelia, their parents Rose and Charlie, and the man who marries into their family, William. Hello Beautiful is loosely inspired by Little Women, but, although each of the Padavano sisters pretty neatly lines up with one of the March sisters, character-wise, they don't follow the same trajectories, which avoids the plot becoming predictable. What Ann Napolitano takes and runs with from Little Women is also my favourite thing about the novel: its focus on how strong the relationships between sisters can be, and how they may be at least as meaningful as any romantic or sexual relationship. I loved how Hello Beautiful explored alternative ways of living and mothering beyond the traditional nuclear family unit, and how the sisters centred each other in their lives. It's a shame, therefore, that it's a bit of a potboiler, definitely better than Claire Lombardo's The Most Fun We Ever Had (which is also set in Chicago and follows the lives of four sisters and the man who interrupts their plans), principally because the characters are much more likeable, but in the same kind of category.

Hello Beautiful starts vividly in the late 1970s, with some memorable early scenes, especially between Julia and William, and with Sylvie and Charlie. But, like many novels I've read that try to cover so much chronological ground, it becomes thinner thereafter, and although I found it compulsive, this was more because I wanted to reach each of the significant life events that were telegraphed rather than because I was truly invested in the characters. It's a pity, given the length of this novel, that only Rose, Julia, Sylvie and William are really developed as people; the two other sisters are given short shrift even though they arguably live more interesting and unusual lives. I also felt that Napolitano relied too much on telling us how the characters feel about each other rather than really letting us see. In particular, we're told that the sisters are incredibly close, with a complex network of references and in-jokes that spans their childhood and adolescence, but we don't actually get to see a lot of it in terms of how they interact with each other. Instead, we get Sylvie telling us about key childhood memories in a way that doesn't really bring them to life. I also found it unbelievable that, given what we are told about their closeness, SPOILER they would all let the rift between Julia and Sylvie continue as long as it does. I just didn't think that, if Julia and Sylvie were as close as we're told, they would give this bond up so easily, or that the other sisters wouldn't try and intervene END SPOILER

I liked Napolitano's Dear Edward but did not find it memorable, and this will probably go the same way for me, which is sad, because there was certainly the potential here to tell a much more haunting and moving story about sisterhood. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely adored this book, the storytelling and writing is gorgeous and I got completely wrapped up in it. It’s an emotional read, and a really complex story focusing on family dynamics and relationships. I really enjoyed it!

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done a fantastic job of creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. The language is clear, concise, and evocative, with descriptions that bring the setting and characters to life. Dialogue is natural and authentic, and the pacing is well-balanced, with enough tension and release to keep the reader engaged. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I was completely absorbed in this story from start to finish! Anything which sweeps across time and generations will have me hooked, so to explore this family of 4 sisters and the dynamics of their relationships across time was right up my street. A modern Little Women - absolutely loved it and will be recommending to my reading friends.

This is an extremely well-written book, loosely based on Alcott’s ‘Little Women’, about four Italian-American sisters -Julia, Sylvie, Cecelia and Emeline. They live in a Chicago suburb with parents, Charlie and Rose.

Each chapter has a different character’s focus, told in the third-person, though, and the novel spans about 30 years, skipping over the characters’ lives. Here, there is a story about growing up, close relationships and what happens when things go wrong. To avoid spoilers, I am not writing about these but there are significant episodes which impact on the book’s story.

I really like Napolitano’s pared-back prose. My main reason for not awarding 5* is the somewhat implausible nature of some parts - namely, Julia lying to her daughter and her not finding out, which I guess could happen but is perhaps unlikely. And also, I wonder if the time span is perhaps too long.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

📖 FROM THE COVER

Best friends and sisters, the four Padavano girls are seen as inseparable by everyone in their close-knit Italian-American neighbourhood. 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: 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?

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A beautiful novel told from four of the main characters POV thoughout the passage of time starting the 70’s, ending in 2018. This is a character lead novel of which the charactes are flawed and real, it shows the heartbreaking reality of life, how brakes us and how it makes it. It’s overriding message is one of hope and love. I loved the sisters relationships and dynamics between them, there was real Little Women feel to it, which I adored. While it took a little while to take off once it did I couldn’t put it down.
It is tender, wise, immersive, compelling and woven together beautifully. A book that will make you ponder and stay with you. Brilliant read for a lazy beach holiday

I greatly enjoyed Hello Beautiful by Anna Napolitano – set in Chicago and beginning in the late 1970s, it’s the story of four sisters and their changing lives, loves, triumphs and disappointments. It’s very loosely based on Little Women (sometimes each sister worries that they are like Beth) and I’m gripped by the complicated dynamics and love between the Padavano sisters. The novel was released to much acclaim in the US a few months ago and is published here in July – it’s an immersive and compelling summer read and ideal for readers (like me!) who love Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout.

Hello beautiful begins with us meeting William who gets a scholarship and moves to Chicago University where he meets Julian Padavano one of 4 sisters. All four sisters we get to know are unique in their own way but have the most incredible bond which really came across. I found this to be a real character based book.
The writing was beautiful, moving and sad all at once. I really felt like I was part of the family. The book explores family, sisterhood, depression and grief,
I will be recommending this book to others and looking out for more from this author.

Such a beautifully woven story of a close knit family. I felt by the end that I really knew all the characters extremely well. There was some sadness along the way, but the author brought everything together in a wonderful resolution of the families differences.

I just loved this from the start. This is the story of four sisters and their chaotic and somewhat dysfunctional lives. The family fell apart when their father died.

It's a slow burn journey throughout their lives and the choices they make along the way, with some areas a little slower than others. Told from various points of view it was good to see what they were thinking, especially when they wouldn't confide in each other.

It is likened to Little Women because they base themselves as a character from the book. They often wondered who Beth would be, which I found sad. When the words 'Hello Beautiful' were spoken towards the end, it brought a lump to my throat. I found it very enjoyable.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano is a moving and thought-provoking novel about the power of love and family. The story follows William Waters, a man who is haunted by the death of his older sister, Caroline, when he was just six days old. Caroline's death has a profound impact on William's life, and he struggles to find his place in the world.

The novel is told from the perspectives of William, his wife, Julia, and his daughter, Sylvie. Each character is dealing with their own grief and loss, and the novel explores the ways in which these losses shape our lives.

Hello Beautiful is a beautifully written novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. Napolitano's writing is lyrical and evocative, and she brings her characters to life with compassion and understanding. The novel is a powerful reminder of the importance of love and family, and it will leave you with a renewed sense of hope.

This is a really lovely story, which I enjoyed very much. The friendships and family bonds are beautifully described and the characters are well-rounded. I did think that the twin's characters were not sufficiently differentiated, and that the novel was too drawn out at the end, so became over long. However, it was a delightful read.

An emotional and dramatic family saga spanning 50 years, reminiscent of Elizabeth Strout's Lucy Barton series, and written as an homage to Little Women.

The Padavano are a close-knit family living in an Italian-American neighbourhood. The four sisters have different characters and roles within the family but are inseparable.

William's upbringing is very different with emotionally distant parents who continue to shun him and mourn the loss of his sister years ago when he was just a newborn baby.

Their paths cross at college, William having secured a basketball scholarship and Julia saving money by attending whilst living at home.

As the story unfolds, their relationship develops and we also follow the sisters and their evolving dynamics through the various tragedies the family encounters.

‘m not crying, you‘re crying. 😭

I thought Dear Edward was overly mawkish so I was worried about this one. However this book stays just the right side of cloying sentimentality, whilst still being full of warmth and was a fantastic read.

A (kind of) re-telling of Little Women it follows lonely neglected William as he meets Julia Padavano and is drawn into her family. I hadn't actually noticed the Little Women references myself, until I got right to the end. I'm kind of glad as I think I'd have been looking out for similarities and I'm pleased I got to enjoy the book purerly on its own merits.

Wow I am so sad to have finished this amazing book. Compared to a modern day little women but so wonderful and unique in its own way. I just got swept away in the writing from page 1. I am jealous of anyone who is yet to get lost in this amazing story.

Family sagas are my favourite genre and so I was really looking forward to reading Hello Beautiful, described as a homage to Little Women.

It tells the story of the four Padvano sisters; Julia, Sylvie and twins Emeline and Cecilia whose lives are changed when Julia meets William at college. It's set in Chicago and told over the course of 40 years as we witness a family rift and secrets.

It is an absolutely stunning and beautifully written novel that I was completely immersed and invested in from the first pages. The characterisation is powerful, I loved all of the sisters and was so moved by this insightful and emotional novel. I was bereft when it ended and would highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.