Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

HELLO BEAUTIFUL by Ann Napolitano (Dear Edward) is an extremely well-written novel set primarily in Chicago. The multi-generational story centers around the lives of four sisters, their parents, and children: “The four Padavano girls shared their lives, celebrating and utilizing one another’s strengths, covering for one another’s weaknesses. Julia was the organizer and leader, Sylvie the reader and measured voice, Emeline the nurturer, and Cecelia the artist.” With multiple narrators and much introspection, Napolitano encourages her readers and characters to contemplate questions like “Was life constructed of arrivals and departures?” In a book that I did not want to put down, she explores themes of family, love, and sacrifice.

Yes, there are several sad points when the story encounters potential suicide, mental health issues, and fatal disease. But there are many uplifting moments like Cecelia’s growth as an artist and the murals she creates to honor strong women – recently in Freemantle, Australia I saw one (shown here) that helped me imagine the power of her work. The relationships between mothers and daughters are probed, as well as the importance of a father’s support. Plus, parallels to classic literature are noted when the siblings compare themselves to the March sisters. All of which would make for a fascinating book group discussion (in fact, this title is an Oprah’s Book Club Pick). HELLO BEAUTIFUL is also a LibraryReads selection for March and received a starred review from Booklist. Highly recommended.