Hello Beautiful: A Novel

I purchased this books months ago and because I have no plan to get through my enormous piles of purchased but unread books, pulled it off the shelf randomly. I don't know if I would be writing this same review at another time in my life, but suffice it to say that the author's expertly nimble way of dealing empathetically with delicate, subtle emotions was extraordinarily compelling. Similarly, her ability to describe both the whole of a complicated and far flung family, but also each individual in it, is brilliant. I can't help but feel, after reading the acknowledgments, that like Emmeline the author is a brilliant observer of human behavior. The realistic portrayal of Charlie and William was touching to me. They are flawed men. (We are all flawed people.) But the portrayal of men as either Homer Simpson-esque buffoons or cads dishonors so many men - I grew up with a father and brothers who lit up my world. Yes, they were flawed. But like Sylvie, it was my father who really saw me. I marvel at any author able to capture humanity in a way this honest - like Elena Ferrante. I didn't know where to turn when I finished. I didn't want to leave the Padavano family. So, I'm re-reading Elena Ferrante. A beautiful, beautiful book and a tremendous talent.

I liked this book very much, as a sister and mother of daughters. There were several themes that stitched the book together in a lovely way. My one knock was that it was about 75 pages longer than it needed to be. The last part of the book seemed to drag and yet the conclusion felt rushed. But despite that, I enjoyed being a part of this family of strong women during the course of the story.

I literally could not put this book down. I thought it started a bit slowly, but by 10% in, I was fully vested. So much so that I started reading it yesterday, read more last night and everytime I woke up I thought about the characters and their stories. I finally gave up and started reading in the wee hours of the morning and have now finished. Tired but replete.I argued with the characters, empathized, laughed and cried. I felt some of these journey's to the core of my being.I'd recommend this story 125%.

Beautifully crafted. She creates four different sisters each with their own personality and story but entwined with their siblings through love. A very satisfying book.

I bought hardcover & Kindle editions on day of release after seeing Oprah rave about it on CBS. What I appreciate most with Oprah's fiction picks is the selections tend to be a cut above (i.e. more literature) than morning show or other celeb book clubs. (I esp enjoyed Oprah's early picks back in late 90s.) I'm sad to report this was a big miss for me. Having been raised with 4 sisters in blue-collar Chicago, I thought it'd be a slam dunk, but I went from being underwhelmed to disappointed to annoyed. Pains me to write a mediocre review as author likely poured her heart and soul into it, but imo this book needed another year editing and revising, as this just wasn't there yet. A few specifics:* I applaud author for attempting to give characters depth & complexity but she violated basic rule of show, don't tell. Too much of the characters' personalities were explained with excess exposition but not SHOWN to readers through actions or dialogue.* While I don't adhere that authors should write only what they know, it was obvious to me early on the author didn't grow up with sisters, nor grow up or spend years in Pilsen or blue-collar Chicago. Neither felt authentic. Felt more as if author was on outside observing or imagining versus having lived it. I can overlook some tells, but the more those slips/omissions/errors add up, the more a reader loses faith in the entire story.*William's upbringing also didn't ring true. I can understand grief-stricken parents emotionally absent in a child's life, but not to the degree explained (not shown) in the book. More development and examples were needed, as parents cannot simply ignore a child--they still need to nurse, feed, cloth and shelter, etc. It's easy to tell but author needed to again SHOW us how cold parents can be there, but not present.* On plus side, the story & writing comes most alive to me with passages on basketball--the relationships, the tempo, the love of the game, the history. Here's where the author did her homework and really did a nice job translating it, esp to female readership (not to sound sexist, as I'm a woman who played basketball in her youth but still learned a few things or two and appreciated the insights she brought.)I'll leave it there as I don't mean to tear down a book that's not horrible, just not great. Possibly my disappointment is greater than most because I came up with high expectations and this just wasn't credible for me. As other reviewers noted, it's not a bad beach read, but not literature and not Oprah-caliber. (Sorry for any typos--please don't review my review lol.)

It was so nice to read a book about a big family who experienced life experiences. Happiness, sadness , success, defeat, sickness, health, anger, discontent, fear, triumph and loss yet they all come together to forgive and forget.

This novel is a “family” history that includes the good the bad and the ugly . Most of us will find something in the book that reflects our own families - if we are honest. Families are not just blood , sometimes they are grown from a team, or friends, or situations. Real life is messy and full of love and mistakes and joy.

With its captivating prose and compelling narrative, this book is an absolute must-read. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking an exceptional literary experience. The author's masterful storytelling and engaging style make this a truly remarkable work that will leave readers thoroughly impressed and deeply satisfied.