My book club picked Hello Beautiful last year as one of our picks and it was my introduction to Ann Napolitano. She writes sweeping, mulit-cast family dramas that delve deep into the mind of each character. While sometimes the pacing is a bit slow for me, ultimately, I know each thread will beautifully weave together a braided complete story. Similar to Hello Beautiful, I did have trouble initially because I disliked some of the characters and their choices. But much like real life, Napolitano, has a way of creating true images of people - both the good and the unlikeable. It is that ability - to craft such true to life people - that I admire most in her writing.

Beautifully written emotional family drama. And by drama I mean wow, a whole lot of complex and heavy issues that occur within the multigenerational McLaughlin family and how they deal with them. I enjoyed that every chapter was told from another members perspective. Allowed me to get to know each character and to keep track of them. Would have rated 3.5, upped to 4 as half not available.

I didn't realize going in that this was Ann Napolitano's debut novel being republished. Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful are both books that struck me to my core and have stayed with me since I read them so I knew I needed to read this one too. It was similar to Hello Beautiful in that it was about a multigenerational Irish Catholic family and how childhood and tradition stay with you well into your adult years. In hindsight, knowing that this is Napolitano's first book, I could see the potential in this work but realized why it fell a little flat for me.

The book beautiful weaves the stories of 6 family members through past and present events. The past is the foundation of the family they have become. It rings true the notion of younger generations knowing the history but not truly knowing the impact it had/has on the individual family members. Many traditional Irish catholic beliefs and traditions are clearly outlined and practiced. The story itself was enjoyable and I grew to love the characters which is why I was itching for more from each of them when the story ended. Although each persons storyline had been explained and provided closure. I was left wondering more about what happened to the Leary and McLaughlin Family.

Another great story by Ann Napolitano. All of her books teach and make you think of your own life and experiences. I love her writing style and her storytelling skills. A must read for 2024 and this book will make a great book club discussion.

The McLaughlin family is very tied into their Irish Catholic heritage, especially matriarch, Catherine. But as Catherine ages, she becomes less involved with her children and begins to “see” the people she has lost, especially her deceased husband, three children and her parents. She does however, become more involved with her granddaughter, Gracie who has shocked the family with an out of wedlock pregnancy and her decision to keep the baby. As Catherine’s health declines and she withdraws, her daughter, Kelly Leary and her family, including Gracie, all struggle with life changing decisions.
I have thoroughly enjoyed previous books by this author but this one was somewhat of a “dud” for me. The character development was good as in her prior novels but this story really went nowhere at all. I do enjoy literary fiction and expect the plot to take a back seat to the characters but I really wanted more from this book. The relationships were just weird and seemed meaningless (Lila and Weber, Kelly and the mayor, Gracie and Grayson, Louis and Noreen) - there just wasn’t enough development here and the story fell flat.

This is Ann Napolitano's debut, republished, and I'm glad that it was.

A complex tracing of 3-generations of women and their men, the family lines arising out of Irish tradition and storytelling. That's a family I'm familiar with! Too much, too little, hiding, oversharing, members who dominate and are aggressive (but wouldn't agree they are), members who submit and are passive (but would admit to most anything), yet who all have a tie that binds them. Wouldn't all of them call it love - it is really - but to admit that gives away too much. . .?power?

Ah. Family dynamics. Layer on layer, and the bright shiny bits are accentuated at those life markers - birth, death, marriage, and all the crises that arise therein. I enjoy the author's writing about these ordinary and extraordinary happenings in all our lives.

Bonus: Author's Note at the end of the republished edition gives readers an interesting history of her writerly beginnings and adopted later adjustments to the voiced (and unvoiced) opinions of others reading her works.

Will continue to seek out her works I haven't yet read.

*A sincere thank you to Ann Napolitano, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

I have loved Ann Napolitano’s last two books Dear Edward and especially Hello Beautiful. Due to these last two books phenomenal success - her first book from 2004 written when she was 32 - Within Arms Length has been rereleased (as it had gone out of print). Like Hello Beautiful this a large family saga and of sibling conflict and miscommunication. Again like Edward and Beautiful the story is written from different characters narratives. All the elements that Napolitano would polish in her later books are there - along with a compelling story. I liked it because I loved her other books but on its own - it is less compelling - and I found the two younger female leads - sisters Lila and Phoebe - not very believable or even likable. It’s the other characters matriarch Catherine - her daughter Kelly and husband Louis - and her nurse Noreen - that I found much more touching and insightful and better written. This was an advance copy from Madison at Penguin Random House (thank you!). A touching and enjoyable family saga. I also loved reading the authors processes - about when she wrote the book she didn’t even think it would be published after a number of failures to be printed. So glad this has not been forgotten and Napolitano has gained stature as a writer. Indeed this book is a deep cut.

I was so excited when I came across this book on NetGalley because she is one of my favorite authors!! As I read this book, I was a little sad that I did not find myself Loving it as much as I have loved and enjoyed her two other published works. After further investigation, I found out this book is a re-release of her very first book that has been out of print for many years. With that aha moment, I was able to give grace to her early writing and enjoy the book as I had hoped I would. Ann Napolitano is a beautiful storyteller. Her style reminds me a lot of my favorite author Ann Patchett. Napolitano has a beautiful way with words and knows how to create imagery and feeling as she tells a story. If you do not like a lot of detail or a very descriptive writing style and character development, this story may not be for you. I do admire this author's ability to tell about family connections and emotions. She has a talent for bringing out the humanity in her characters and the family relationships in her stories that gives any reader something to relate to. It truly is a remarkable talent. Though I did not love this story or its characters that much, I did enjoy her beautiful storytelling and my time spent with this book. Thank you, McMillan audio and Galley for the ARC of this audiobook.

This was a really beautiful multi-generational tale driven by its characters. I had some trouble getting into it at first, but the diverse themes, subplots, and personalities kept me engaged. Occasionally, I found myself lost among the numerous characters. I struggled to connect with them as deeply as I did with Ann Napolitano's other novels, and the ending left me with several unanswered questions. Though it wasn't as gripping as Hello Beautiful, I enjoyed the book overall and look forward to the author's future works.

This novel follows three generations of an Irish American family thrown back together through the announcement of an unexpected pregnancy. Highly character driven, this book is perfect for readers who appreciate character analysis through the portrait of an immigrant family. Each chapter switches back and forth from different perspectives of the family members, each offering their own versions of the main plot-line. I overall enjoyed the writing style and although certain parts of the narrative did drag a little for me, I did feel really connected to the family and invested in the story. I was a little disappointed with the ending and was left wanting more, but I did figure it would end a little ambiguously! I had heard such great things about this author, and now understand why. I can’t wait to read more of her work!

It is interesting to see how much Ann Napolitano has grown as a writer since this debut 20 years ago. The story follows the McLaughlin family, with mother of 9 Catherine at the helm. Only 6 of her children survived and she is as tough as nails. We also hear from her children and grandchildren. I didn’t love Within Arm’s Reach. I felt as thou9h the characters were difficult to connect with and perhaps there were too many points of view for me to feel invested in any of them. While I loved Napolitano’s more recent work, Within Arm’s Reach just missed the mark for me. I do appreciate the opportunity to read and review Within Arm’s Reach and want to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this family story. A tight knit Irish family, with issues within but knowing at the end of the day family is everything.
The ending of the book did confuse me, so I will be reading to see what others thought of it.

Within Arm's Reach
By Ann Napolitano

My rule for reading a book is that, after the first hundred pages, if I am not engaged, I go no further. Such is the case with this book.

There are too many characters and the storyline is narrated by six different members of the McLaughlin clan, each in the first person. The stories related by the multi-generational members of this Irish Catholic family all seemed to run together. I found myself confused, and quite frankly, I lost interest quickly. This is a case of too much information really is too much.

Really enjoyed this. Have really liked all her books so far. I would recommend this book if you’ve liked her previous work. It is def one I would suggest you read!

Within Arm's Reach is a layered, complex family drama centered on a large Irish Catholic family, with matriarch Catherine at the helm. The book opens with a family tree, which proves helpful as the numerous McLaughlin characters can be challenging to keep track of initially.

Each family member grapples with personal issues they choose to keep secret, inevitably affecting their relationships with one another. While the dysfunctional family dynamics are compelling, the middle section of the novel occasionally drags.

In comparison to Napolitano's Hello Beautiful- the only other work by the author I've read - Within Arm's Reach didn't captivate me as quickly. The characters in Hello Beautiful were immediately endearing, whereas this novel took more time to draw me in.

It's worth noting that Within Arm's Reach is Napolitano's debut novel, now being rereleased. While it may not have the same polished feel as her later work, it still offers an interesting exploration of family secrets and relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the rerelease.

When I first saw this book, I thought it was a new Ann Napolitano novel. I was wrong - this was written in 2004. I really enjoyed Hello Beautiful, so I was excited to read a similar style of book.

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley giving me an ARC of this book. The review is based on the plot summary.

I enjoyed this - I love books that explore the intricacies of relationships and family and this explored all of that. I do wish the ending wrapped up what happened with all the characters (which.. there were many and I was confused at times!). I look forward to reading additional books by this author. Thank you for the ARC!

This was a rough one to get through. There was not much dialogue and a lot of inner thoughts which made the story drag on. I did not connect with any of the characters, they were pretty awful. I didn’t feel any closure at the end of the book, which I think was intentional, but it felt like a missed opportunity.

Ann Napolitano - you are amazing. This was the perfect book club read! I highly recommend to all. The cover is also beautiful which is always a bonus!