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Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel Kindle Edition
“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.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherThe Dial Press
- Publication dateMarch 14, 2023
- File size3032 KB
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Amazon editors say...
A juicy, tear-jerker of a novel about family and how what holds them together can also tear them apart.
Al Woodworth, Amazon EditorPopular highlight
“When an old person dies,” Kent said, “even if that person is wonderful, he or she is still somewhat ready, and so are the people who loved them. They’re like old trees, whose roots have loosened in the ground. They fall gently. But when someone like your aunt Sylvie dies—before her time—her roots get pulled out and the ground is ripped up. Everyone nearby is in danger of being knocked over.”8,513 Kindle readers highlighted thisPopular highlight
When your love for a person is so profound that it’s part of who you are, then the absence of the person becomes part of your DNA, your bones, and your skin.7,837 Kindle readers highlighted thisPopular highlight
He was his acts of kindness, and his love for his daughters, and the twenty minutes he’d spent with Sylvie behind the grocer’s that evening.5,753 Kindle readers highlighted thisPopular highlight
It occurred to him, for the first time, that just because you never thought about someone didn’t mean they weren’t inside you.4,850 Kindle readers highlighted thisPopular highlight
The dream was now in the air, at risk of the elements, beyond her grasp.3,565 Kindle readers highlighted this
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Review
“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
“A sprawling, hugely affecting novel [filled with] empathetic characters and rich writing . . . [Hello Beautiful] has rightfully earned comparisons to Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, with its four close, vibrant sisters and the lonely outsider who infiltrates their circle.”—Shondaland
“This is a warm blanket of a book, one that reminds you of the enveloping power of literature and leaves you very grateful to have encountered it.”—Vogue
“Little Women fans will be endeared by Hello Beautiful's homage to the March siblings, in the form of the four Padavano sisters. Any lover of a sweeping family saga will be moved by the Padavanos’ unraveling.”—Harper’s Bazaar
“Napolitano’s novel will make you think deeply about sisterhood and what we choose to share with those we love.”—Town & Country
“Can love make a broken person whole? That is the simple but compelling question at the center of . . . this engrossing and emotional family drama.”—E! Online
“Absorbing.”—AARP
“Napolitano is a master of examining what binds us to family, what makes family, and how to love in difficult times.”—Literary Hub
“A family drama with echoes of classics and characters who are distinctly written. As a reader, you’ll laugh and grieve with William and the Padavanos as they go through life—soaring as much as they stumble.”—Book Riot
“Ann Napolitano’s new novel, Hello Beautiful, is exactly that: beautiful, perceptive, wistful. It’s a story of family and friendship, of how the people we are bound to can also set us free. I loved it.”—Miranda Cowley Heller, New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace
“A rich, complex family saga, Hello Beautiful is a portrait oflove and grief in equal measure. Napolitano’s prose is so lovely, so keenly perceptive, that it held me captive until I finished. A lot of people are going to love this story.”—Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes
“Hello Beautiful is a profoundly moving and propulsive novel about the deepest connections of family and love, trauma and healing. In intricately elegant prose, Ann Napolitano explores both the cost and power of loyalty and honesty. This is a book to treasure and share with friends and loved ones.”—Angie Kim, bestselling author of Miracle Creek
“Hello Beautiful is the work of a great author at the height of her powers. Equally immersive, emotional, and brilliantly crafted, this is an early contender for best novel of the year.”—J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest
“This is a story about family and sisters and storytelling, but it’s also an examination of identity and the consequences of doing love badly and how love can be redeemed. Read this book! You’ll be glad you did.”—Therese Anne Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of It All Comes Down to This
“This is a richly woven story about family, but it’s also a unique take on Little Women. There are no heroes or villains here, only people—flawed and loving and striving like the rest of us. ‘Generosity’ is the word that comes to mind when I reflect on this gorgeous novel.”—Allegra Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of The Cookbook Collector and Sam
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
February 1960–December 1978
For the first six days of William Waters’s life, he was not an only child. He had a three-year-old sister, a redhead named Caroline after John F. Kennedy’s daughter. There were silent home movies of Caroline in which William’s father looked like he was laughing, a sight William never saw again. His father’s face looked open, and the tiny redhead, who pulled her dress over her face and ran in giggling circles in one of the movies, was apparently the reason. Caroline developed a fever and a cough while William and his mother were in the hospital after his birth. When they came home, the little girl seemed to be on the mend, but the cough was still bad, and when her parents went into her room to get her one morning, they found her dead in her crib.
William’s parents never mentioned Caroline while William was growing up. There was one photograph of her on the end table in the living room, which William traveled to occasionally in order to convince himself that he’d actually had a sister. The family moved to a navy-shingled house on the other side of Newton—a suburb of Boston—and in that house, William was an only child. His father was an accountant who worked long hours downtown. With his daughter gone, the man’s face never opened again. William’s mother smoked cigarettes and drank bourbon in the living room, sometimes alone and sometimes with a female neighbor. She had a collection of ruffled aprons that she wore while preparing meals, and she became agitated whenever one became stained or messy.
“Maybe you shouldn’t wear the aprons while you cook,” William said once, when his mother was red-faced and on the verge of tears over a dark blotch of gravy on the fabric. “You could tuck a dish towel in your belt instead, like Mrs. Kornet does.”
His mother looked at him as if he’d spoken in Greek. William said, “Mrs. Kornet, who lives next door? Her dish towel?”
From the age of five, William would walk to the nearby park most afternoons with a basketball, because basketball, unlike baseball or football, was a game he could play alone. There was a neglected outdoor court that usually had a hoop free, and he would shoot for hours, pretending he was a Celtics player. Bill Russell was his favorite, but to be Russell you needed someone else to block or defend against. Sam Jones was the best shooter, so William was usually Jones. He tried to imitate the guard’s perfect shooting form while pretending the trees that surrounded the court were cheering fans.
One afternoon when he was ten years old, he showed up at the court and found it occupied. Boys—maybe six of them, about William’s age—were chasing one another and a ball between the hoops. William started to back away, but one of the boys called, “Hey, wanna play?” And then, without waiting for William to answer: “You’re on the blue team.” Within seconds, William was swept into the game, his heart pounding in his chest. A kid passed him the ball, and he passed it right back, afraid to shoot and miss and be told he was terrible. A few minutes later, the game broke up abruptly because someone needed to get home, and the boys spilled off the court in different directions. William walked home, his heart still rattling in his chest. After that, the boys were occasionally on the court when William showed up with his ball. There was no discernible schedule to their appearances, but they always waved him into the game as if he were one of them. This never stopped being shocking to William. Kids and adults had always looked past him, as if he were invisible. His parents hardly looked at him at all. William had accepted all of this and thought it was understandable; he was, after all, boring and forgettable. His primary characteristic was pallor: He had sand-colored hair, light-blue eyes, and the very white skin shared by people of English and Irish descent. On the inside, William knew, he was as uninteresting and muted as his looks. He never spoke at school, and no one played with him. But the boys on the basketball court offered William a chance to be part of something for the first time, without having to talk.
In fifth grade, the gym teacher at his elementary school said, “I see you out there shooting baskets in the afternoons. How tall is your father?”
William stared at the man blankly. “I’m not sure. Normal height?”
“Okay, so you’ll probably be a point guard. You need to work on your handle. You know Bill Bradley? That gawky guy on the Knicks? When he was a kid, he taped cardboard to his glasses so he couldn’t look down, couldn’t see his feet. And then he dribbled up and down the sidewalk wearing those glasses. He looked crazy, no doubt, but his handle got real tight. He has a perfect feel for how the ball will bounce and how to find it without looking.”
William sprinted home that afternoon, his entire body buzzing. This was the first time a grown-up had looked directly at him—noticed him, and noticed what he was doing—and the attention threw him into distress. William had a sneezing fit while he was digging for a pair of toy glasses in the back of his desk drawer. He visited the bathroom twice before he carefully taped rectangular pieces of cardboard to the bottom of the glasses.
Whenever William felt sick or odd, he worried he was going to die. At least once a month he would crawl under his covers after school, convinced he was terminally ill. He wouldn’t tell his parents, because illness wasn’t permitted in his house. Coughing, in particular, was treated as a horrific betrayal. When William had a cold, he allowed himself to cough only in his closet with the door closed, his face muffled by the row of hanging button-down shirts he had to wear for school. He was aware of that familiar worry tickling his shoulders and the back of his head while he ran outside with the ball and glasses. But William had no time for illness now, no time for fear. This felt like the final click of his identity falling into place. The boys on the court had recognized him, and the gym teacher had too. William might have had no idea who he was, but the world had told him: He was a basketball player.
The gym teacher gave him additional tips that allowed William to develop more skills. “For defense: Push kids away with your shoulder and your butt. The refs won’t call those as fouls. Do sprints: Get a quick first step and beat your man off the dribble.” William worked on his passing too, so he could feed the ball to the best players in the park. He wanted to keep his place on the court, and he knew that if he made the other boys better, he had value. He learned where to run to provide space for the shooters to cut in to. He set screens so they could take their favorite shots. The boys slapped William on the back after a successful play, and they always wanted him on their side. This acceptance calmed some of the fear William carried inside him; on the basketball court, he knew what to do.
By the time William entered high school, he was a good-enough player to start for the varsity team. He was five foot eight and played point guard. His hours of practice with the glasses had paid off; he was by far the best dribbler on the team, and he had a nice midrange jumper. He’d worked on his rebounding, which helped offset his team’s turnovers. Passing was still William’s best skill, and his teammates appreciated that they had better games when he was in the lineup. He was the only freshman on the varsity team, and so when his older teammates drank beer in the basement of whoever’s parents were willing to look the other way, William was never invited. His teammates were shocked—everyone was shocked—when, in the summer after his sophomore year, William grew five inches. Once he started growing, his body seemed unable to stop, and by the end of high school he was six foot seven. He couldn’t eat enough to keep up with his growth and became shockingly thin. His mother looked frightened when he lurched into the kitchen every morning, and she’d hand him a snack whenever he passed nearby. She seemed to think his skinniness reflected badly on her, because feeding him was her job. His parents sometimes came to his basketball games, but at odd intervals, and they sat politely in the stands, appearing not to know anyone on the court.
His parents weren’t there for the game when William went for a rebound and was shoved in the air. His body twisted while he fell, and he landed awkwardly on his right knee. The joint absorbed all of the impact, and all of his weight. William heard his knee make a noise, and then a fog descended. His coach, who seemed to have only two registers—shouting and mumbling—was yelling in his ear: “You okay, Waters?” William generally responded to both the shouts and the mumbles by phrasing everything he said as a question; he never felt sure enough to lay claim to a statement. He cleared his throat. The fog around him, and inside him, was dense and laced with pain that was radiating from his knee. He said, “No.”
Product details
- ASIN : B0B7R4Q5DJ
- Publisher : The Dial Press (March 14, 2023)
- Publication date : March 14, 2023
- Language : English
- File size : 3032 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 390 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #7,075 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #28 in Sibling Fiction
- #40 in Women's Literary Fiction
- #118 in Sisters Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Ann Napolitano's new novel, Hello Beautiful, will be published on March 14th, 2023 by Dial Press in the US and on July 13th by Viking Penguin in the UK. Her novel, Dear Edward, was an instant New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna selection, and is now an Apple TV+ series starring Connie Britton. She is the author of the novels A Good Hard Look and Within Arm’s Reach. She was the Associate Editor of One Story literary magazine for seven years, and received an MFA from New York University. She has taught fiction writing for Brooklyn College's MFA program, New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies and for Gotham Writers' Workshop.
Dear Edward was published by Dial Press in the United States, and by Viking Penguin in the United Kingdom. It was chosen as one of the best novels of 2020 by The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Amazon, Real Simple, Fast Company, Parade, Woman's World and more. The novel currently has twenty-six international publishers. For more information about Ann or her books, please visit www.annnapolitano.com.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the writing style brilliant and easy to read. They also describe the plot as incredible, well-plotted, and beautifully interwoven. Readers praise the emotional tone as wonderful, interesting, and beautiful. They find the characters captivating and real. They describe the content as insightful, true, and mysterious. However, some find the tone depressing, repetitive, and not stellar. Opinions are mixed on the pacing, with some finding it well-paced and others finding it slow.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the storyline fascinating, touching, and sweet. They also say the themes are beautifully interwoven and important.
"...Napolitano’s writing is thoughtful and beautiful...." Read more
"...I can say that the beauty of Ann Napolitano carefully crafted words, the images she brought to my mind's eye and the powerful feelings of love that..." Read more
"...I loved it! The characters came alive on the page, and the story was completely engrossing. I highly recommend it!" Read more
"Plausible narrative with interesting subjects. We feel that these people existed. It is a pity that the book ended already." Read more
Customers find the plot of the book incredible, relatable, and well-plotted. They also say it's a true story of family, love, and forgiveness.
"...This book is a love story. It is about acceptance, heartbreak, forgiveness, and understanding. Napolitano’s writing is thoughtful and beautiful...." Read more
"...words, the images she brought to my mind's eye and the powerful feelings of love that seemed to leap from the pages of Hello Beautiful, eventually..." Read more
"...And so did the women in my book club. The family dynamics are fascinating because there is such a strong bond between the women, and yet there are..." Read more
"...fully immerse myself in it on a recent vacation but was disappointed with both the story and the writing style...." Read more
Customers find the writing style brilliant, easy to read, and full of good thoughts, quotes, and life lessons. They also appreciate the metaphoric language that paints a beautiful picture of each character. Overall, readers say the book creates rhyming that increases reading enjoyment.
"...Napolitano’s writing is thoughtful and beautiful...." Read more
"...This was NOT an easy book to read. I took several breaks but always came back...." Read more
"...There is a pattern to the structure that creates a rhythm that increases reading enjoyment. Essentially it is very easy to read...." Read more
"...Ann Napolitano is a great story teller and a wonderful way with words. I enjoyed this book immensely...." Read more
Customers find the characters in the book captivated.
"...Readers are drawn right into this story and feel every emotion the characters experience...." Read more
"...I was intrigued by the depth of personality of each of the sisters Ann Napolitano created...." Read more
"...There were hardly any likable characters, with the possible exception of William's basketball friends It reads more like a soap opera than serious..." Read more
"...I loved it! The characters came alive on the page, and the story was completely engrossing. I highly recommend it!" Read more
Customers find the emotional tone of the book heartwarming, relatable, touching, and insightful. They also say the story exemplifies the strength of love and support from both family and friends. Customers also mention the book provides good thoughts, quotes, and life lessons. They say the interpersonal relationships are complicated.
"...Napolitano’s writing is thoughtful and beautiful. The story is deeply moving as each character grows and discover his or her truth and learns how..." Read more
"Plausible narrative with interesting subjects. We feel that these people existed. It is a pity that the book ended already." Read more
"This is a beautiful book about love, heartbreak, vulnerability, and family...." Read more
"...heartwarming moments of tenderness and happiness, and devastating moments of sadness and loss that will have you alternating between laughing and..." Read more
Customers find the book insightful, engrossing, and beautifully written. They also say the multiple viewpoints are woven perfectly together to capture a story that's full of warmth and empathy, laced with human uncertainties and questions. Readers say the family is well drawn and believable. They say the book is memorable, and mysterious all at once.
"...It is about acceptance, heartbreak, forgiveness, and understanding. Napolitano’s writing is thoughtful and beautiful...." Read more
"...Beautifully written with multiple viewpoints woven perfectly together to capture a story that’s so difficult and relatable." Read more
"...perhaps over 1000 times and yet this story is strangely devoid of any evidence or conviction that there is much more than self love...." Read more
"...There are so many angles to relate to. The dimensions of being in love, loving others, and family unconditional love...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the pacing. Some mention that the book flows at a nice pace, while others say that the first half of the book was slow and dragged out at the beginning.
"There were parts of this book that felt too slow, too plodding. And yet the overall tone and beauty of the writing carried me through...." Read more
"This book had interesting characters and was well written. It flowed a nice pace. it was touching and sweet and thoughtful...." Read more
"I liked the story, but it was a very slow read...." Read more
"This is a great story of family and love. Started slow, but I was compelled by the story and couldn’t put the book down until the end...." Read more
Customers find the tone depressing, disappointing, and repetitive. They also say the book is too unreal, saccharine, and abruptly ends. Readers also mention that it's not literature and not Oprah-caliber.
"...It was OK; not a complete waste of time, but definitely not a best book of the year." Read more
"...you that this book does contain self harm. This was not the best I ever read but it is no where near the worst. Definitely worth the read." Read more
"...One was an artist! It was an interesting and very moving book. Kudos to the author!" Read more
"A bit disappointing. Too ordinary, some depth as it pertains to William in his depression and recovery...." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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I began to see how Hello Beautiful shared so many elements with one of my all time favorite books , Little Women. I was intrigued by the depth of personality of each of the sisters Ann Napolitano created. Ann was able to show how each sister was a part of the others yet completely individuals. How they became who they were was beautifully and intricately choreographed by Ann Napolitano throughout the novel. And, adding William a lost soul, an outsider to the mix, was a brilliant catalyst for the sisters growth and development!
This was NOT an easy book to read. I took several breaks but always came back. This poignant story about family love and relationships, did end up stirring my heart and soul in ways, I admit, prefer to avoid. At times, I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster. By the time I reached the climax of the story I was fully invested in the characters and their lives, the many highs and lows they experienced and yet were able to weather because they had each other.
I don't know how many other of Ann Napolitano's my tortured soul will be able to tolerate. I can say that the beauty of Ann Napolitano carefully crafted words, the images she brought to my mind's eye and the powerful feelings of love that seemed to leap from the pages of Hello Beautiful, eventually brought me to place of peace. I read the last page with a sigh. Then I closed my eyes and reflected on all my best memories of life in a large, obnoxiously in your face , flawed, loving family! All the highs and lows, the good times, the bad and the big loving mess of it all!
SIGH.
Top reviews from other countries
Reviewed in Mexico on November 28, 2023
On the contrary to Padvano's siblings, we find another character, William Waters,who is raised by a grief-stricken parents.Their daughter Caroline, who was three years older to William, dies too young & the parents could not quite get out of that gloom.As a child William grew up feeling unwanted & neglected & enters into adulthood with a fractured past.He had an intrest in basketball that kept him away from his melancholy thoughts of being unwanted and most of the time he used to play alone.It's his basketball skills that secures him a scholarship at Northwestern University, where he joins for his graduation. Julia meets William at the university & that they both fall in love and later gets married.But Williams past & his love for basketball, couldn't quite fit into Julia's expectations of him and William's subsequent sucidal attempt, soon after the birth of their daughter,Alice forced her to think differently.Sylvie, who reads William's manuscripts earlier before,at the instance of Julia,understands him more deeply and emphasizes with his past.She gets drawn towards William & eventually gets married to him, when Julia shifts to New York with Alice.Sylvie's marriage to William distances Julia & the other three sisters. Earlier,Cecelia's getting pregnant without marriage, disappoints Rosie and her beliefs.Frustrated,she asks Cecelia to leave the house.When Charlie learns about the birth of his granddaughter,he visits the hospital where Cecelia delivers her baby, Isabella Rose Padvanoo.But unfortunately Charlie dies in the hallway at the hospital.After Charlie's death the good deeds he has done and the way he helped,people around Pilsen town came to the fore.Such small acts of kindness that the family never knew of Charlie, made them miss him even more.
Equally intriguing is that the charectar of William.After his marriage to Sylvie,he improved bit by bit.His friends Kent and Arsh too did their best to help William come out of his depression.He started enjoying his work & derived the pleasure of helping others. When he learned about Sylvie's disease and the limited time she had shocked William and made him come out of his cell.He, now wanted to do the best that he could for Sylvie.He understood how much Sylvie missed her sister Julia & with out a second thought he calls and informs her of Sylvie's critical condition.His sole intention was to see the joy at Padvanos home by bringing all the sisters together for which he felt that he was responsible.
It's the title of the book " Hello Beautiful" by Ann Napolitano, which drew me to read the review and then my intrest followed with the mention of the poet Walt Whitman that made me purchase & read.The book begins with the beautiful lines of the poet from the "Song Of Myself" to stimulate the interest and made me eager to complete reading the book.Besides,we also experience the idea of Universal Brotherhood & a few traces of Whimanism and his idealogy, coming out through a few charecters in the book. At the hospital,Charlie's whispering of the lines from,"Song of Myself" into the ears of his newly born granddaughter -- "For every atom belonging to me as good belonging to you " ,is quite impressive.The book also highlights the influence of parents behavior on children & the psychological effects the children carry when they growup into adults.Overall the book is an extraordinary entertainment to read and enjoy while learning the importance of family,relationships, and friendships.
Reviewed in India on July 17, 2024
On the contrary to Padvano's siblings, we find another character, William Waters,who is raised by a grief-stricken parents.Their daughter Caroline, who was three years older to William, dies too young & the parents could not quite get out of that gloom.As a child William grew up feeling unwanted & neglected & enters into adulthood with a fractured past.He had an intrest in basketball that kept him away from his melancholy thoughts of being unwanted and most of the time he used to play alone.It's his basketball skills that secures him a scholarship at Northwestern University, where he joins for his graduation. Julia meets William at the university & that they both fall in love and later gets married.But Williams past & his love for basketball, couldn't quite fit into Julia's expectations of him and William's subsequent sucidal attempt, soon after the birth of their daughter,Alice forced her to think differently.Sylvie, who reads William's manuscripts earlier before,at the instance of Julia,understands him more deeply and emphasizes with his past.She gets drawn towards William & eventually gets married to him, when Julia shifts to New York with Alice.Sylvie's marriage to William distances Julia & the other three sisters. Earlier,Cecelia's getting pregnant without marriage, disappoints Rosie and her beliefs.Frustrated,she asks Cecelia to leave the house.When Charlie learns about the birth of his granddaughter,he visits the hospital where Cecelia delivers her baby, Isabella Rose Padvanoo.But unfortunately Charlie dies in the hallway at the hospital.After Charlie's death the good deeds he has done and the way he helped,people around Pilsen town came to the fore.Such small acts of kindness that the family never knew of Charlie, made them miss him even more.
Equally intriguing is that the charectar of William.After his marriage to Sylvie,he improved bit by bit.His friends Kent and Arsh too did their best to help William come out of his depression.He started enjoying his work & derived the pleasure of helping others. When he learned about Sylvie's disease and the limited time she had shocked William and made him come out of his cell.He, now wanted to do the best that he could for Sylvie.He understood how much Sylvie missed her sister Julia & with out a second thought he calls and informs her of Sylvie's critical condition.His sole intention was to see the joy at Padvanos home by bringing all the sisters together for which he felt that he was responsible.
It's the title of the book " Hello Beautiful" by Ann Napolitano, which drew me to read the review and then my intrest followed with the mention of the poet Walt Whitman that made me purchase & read.The book begins with the beautiful lines of the poet from the "Song Of Myself" to stimulate the interest and made me eager to complete reading the book.Besides,we also experience the idea of Universal Brotherhood & a few traces of Whimanism and his idealogy, coming out through a few charecters in the book. At the hospital,Charlie's whispering of the lines from,"Song of Myself" into the ears of his newly born granddaughter -- "For every atom belonging to me as good belonging to you " ,is quite impressive.The book also highlights the influence of parents behavior on children & the psychological effects the children carry when they growup into adults.Overall the book is an extraordinary entertainment to read and enjoy while learning the importance of family,relationships, and friendships.