Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Sometimes there are gems that have been sitting in your TBR pile for a real long time. This novel was one of them.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano is a poignant family saga set in Chicago that follows William Waters, a young man whose painful childhood leaves him emotionally detached, until he meets Julia Padavano, a vivacious and ambitious woman from a close-knit, loving Italian-American family in Chicago. As William becomes linked with Julia and her three sisters—Sylvie, Cecelia, and Emeline—their lives are forever changed by secrets, betrayals, and unexpected tragedies that test the bonds of family and the limits of forgiveness.

I totally love this novel!

Napolitano's characters are well-developed: they have dimension and growth. The entanglement of the Padavano sisters' lives is an accurate reflection of how messy familial relationships can be. Each sister is a very distinct person and despite how difficult their path was at times, they evolved into who they were fundamentally meant to be. What’s heartwarming is that, despite some struggling with a sister’s choices—and each of them making unexpected decisions—they ultimately found a way to support one another.

The character that stole my heart though was Walter. Like the Padavano sisters, Walter has to make some very tough choices. His miserable childhood impacts his whole life for all the years the novel covers and heavily influences his decisions, both positively and negatively. Walter found his passion at an early age and by maintaining focus on that, he eventually found true friendship and his life's work. His story is a great example of how you don't need to have a lot of friends or many interests to beget a rich and fulfilled life.

This story is rich in layers. Besides the family dynamics and trauma and healing, the plot incorporates secrets, identity and independence, with literary and cultural references sprinkled through out.

This novel is one of those that gave me a book hangover. It took me a week before I could pick my next read. If you are looking for a book that is deep, expansive and centered on family then I highly encourage you to pick this one up.