Title: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Book Beginnings quote:
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.
Friday56 quote:
Sylvie had read somewhere that the more times a story was told, the less accurate it became. Humans were prone to exaggeration; they leaned away from the parts of the narrative they found boring and leaned into the exciting spots. Details and timelines changed over years of repetition. The story became more myth and less true. Sylvie thought about how she and William rarely told their story and felt pleased; by not being shared, their love story remained intact.
Summary:
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 it’s a relief when his skill on the basketball court earns him a scholarship to college, far away from his childhood home. He soon meets Julia Padavano, a spirited and ambitious young woman who surprises William with her appreciation of his quiet steadiness. With Julia comes her family; she is inseparable from her three younger sisters: Sylvie, the dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book and imagines a future different from the expected path of wife and mother; Cecelia, the family’s artist; and Emeline, who patiently takes care of all of them. Happily, the Padavanos fold Julia’s new boyfriend into their loving, chaotic household.
But then darkness from William’s past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia’s carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters’ unshakeable loyalty 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? (Publisher)
Review: I finished this book in September in time for book club where we were to discuss it and then I had to miss the meeting. Darn. I would have loved to be there for that one. Here is what I said on my Goodreads review right after I finished it. I think you'll get the point that it was a very impactful book...
Okay. First piece of advice: Listen to the audiobook with the speed bumped up. I listened at 1.3 speed and that was almost too slow.
Second piece of advice: Drink plenty of Gatorade before or during the last twenty percent of the book. I didn't and I feel lightheaded and dehydrated from my tears. At one point I had to stop listening just so I could get control of my sobbing. SOBBING.
Thirdly, don't build up too much expectation about Little Women and the similarities. It is there, but just a tiny bit and if you wait around for it you'll be disappointed.
Fourthly, if you have any siblings, call or text them and tell them you love them before it is too late and you don't get any more chances. Wouldn't that be the worst thing? Not to fix what is broken while you still have a chance?
Here come the tears again...
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