Ann Napolitano

Fiction 2023 | 400 pages

Ann Napolitano writes of four women, in homage to Little Women. In Hello Beautiful, we meet the Padavano sisters as they navigate their lives from childhood to adulthood and beyond. Julia Padavano is the eldest of the sisters.  She is an ambitious and serious young woman who locks onto William Waters the moment they meet and becomes his wife. After their first conversation, Julia has already decided on their future together, and William is more than happy to let her lead the way. With Julia comes her three younger sisters.

Sylvie is the dreamer.  Happiest with her nose in a book, Sylvie is obsessed with intense romantic love. She refuses to settle for anything less than her wildest dreams.

Cecelia is the artist. Profoundly emotional and unique in every way, Cecelia is destined for a life of beauty.

Cecelia's twin Emmeline is the mother of the group. Always concerned with how she can best care for those around her, Emeline is endlessly patient and considers herself the quiet sister.

We follow their lives, from teen years into young womanhood and for some, new motherhood.  The characters are well-developed, especially the older ones ... William, Julia, and Sylvie.  And yet, somehow, I just did not care. I found them unbelievable, boring, sometimes insipid.  Though recommended by two friends, I just never really grabbed onto this book. it never drew me in. I considered abandoning it at 100 pages and again in the middle, but I was intrigued to learn why my two friends ....one of whom is quite a good friend ... were so compelled by this book.  I never discovered the answer.  But I did potentially figure out why Hello Beautiful never touched my heart.  Perhaps it is because I have no sisters. The relationships, their actions of caring for (and being disappointed by) each other, the solidity of their hearts in deep love for the other sisters was, perhaps, too much fantasy for me; too untranslatable?  When I asked Marian yesterday what she loved about this book because I was struggling with it, the first words out of her mouth were, "Oh, this book may not make sense to you because you have no sisters."  So, I guess my self-study was right on.  Marian has four sisters.  I never liked Little Women either.  I don’t recall if I ever managed to finish it.  But I probably read Little Men eight or ten times.

The story is really quite amazing, and if you can find a home in the bosom of the Padavano sisters, I think you will enjoy it.  Julia marries William and has a daughter Alice, whom William rejects.  Later, after their divorce, William falls in love with the next younger sister, Sylvie.  Meanwhile the twins buy two houses side-by-side, and tear down the fence between them, creating a "super duplex" .... the heart of the Padavano family. Various family members reject each other for years, even decades, at a time, but the ending, with the death of one of the sisters, sets up the scenario in which all might be well, healed, safe, and loving again.

I cannot really recommend this myself.  However, I think it is important that you check it out for yourself.  The book is not flawed, and just may bring you great joy.

June 2024