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Hello Beautiful

A Novel

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Hello Beautiful

Written by: Ann Napolitano
Narrated by: Maura Tierney
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About this listen

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • MORE THAN ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD! From the author of Dear Edward comes a “powerfully affecting” (People) family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole?

“Another tender tearjerker . . . Napolitano chronicles life’s highs and lows with aching precision.”—The Washington Post

ONE OF THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Post, She Reads, Bookreporter

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, as she and her three sisters are inseparable: 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?

An exquisite homage to Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic, Little Women, Hello Beautiful is a profoundly moving portrait of what is possible when we choose to love someone not in spite of who they are, but because of it.

©2023 Ann Napolitano (P)2023 Random House Audio
Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Tearjerking

What the critics say

“Radiant and brilliantly crafted . . . Napolitano’s [work] resists the easy satisfactions of the sentimental and never settles for simple answers to emotional predicaments faced by her characters.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“This sumptuous family saga is one of those rare novels whose singular characters are so beautifully rendered, it’s as if they’re your best friends, and you’re grateful to be in their orbit.”Oprah Quarterly

Hello Beautiful will make you weep buckets because you come to care so deeply about the characters and their fates. . . . [Napolitano] compels us to contemplate the complex tapestry of family love that can, despite grief and loss, still knit us together. She helps us see ourselves—and each other—whole.”—The Washington Post

What listeners say about Hello Beautiful

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
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I wept!

Beautiful, generational story. I loved it the whole way through. A mix of “A Little Life” and “Little Women.”

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    5 out of 5 stars

amazing narration, extremely touching and poetic. makes everyday life into beautiful art

the narration is 👌👌👌. the writer has the most beautiful way with metaphors and writes with such concise beauty. you will not regret this listen

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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The narration takes away

On its own, I think I liked the book, or would have had I read it myself. The narrator is so wooden, so robotic, that every character sounds the same and the inflections are flat. There is no warmth, despite the book containing multitudes.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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The closeness of the 4 girls

William’s ongoing struggles seemed too much. He seemed to be nothing but an ongoing drag on all the others characters personas

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The beauty of growing.

This book was a beautiful and delicate portrayal of the twisted roots a family can weave. The joys of accepting life as it unfolds. Understanding our parts.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Alice!

gosh, this story about family and the dysfunctional system it holds. yes, there's a lot of twists and a lot of shock but Willam is a strong man who deserves understanding! this was a great book. 8 out of 10 from me

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent story telling

I was 100 percent engaged from the moment I started. Coming from a family with 4 sisters, I could relate, and was left with a feeling of warmth and love.

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Loved this book

I could not get enough of this audiobook. I listened to it all in 3 days.

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Beautiful story

One of the best novels I have ever read. Captivating, full of emotions and one that you don’t want to pause.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

well written family drama

very well written story, easy to picture and entertaining. characters make frustrating decisions which can lead to dislike, but I enjoyed that everyone was 3 dimensional and full of flaws.

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