In its opening chapter, Hello Beautiful introduces William Waters, an emotionally damaged young man who turns to basketball to escape a loveless home. This leads him to getting a sports scholarship to Northwestern University where he meets and falls in love with Julia Padavano. She is still living with her parents and three younger sisters, who welcome William into their lives with open arms. Spanning the years 1960 to 2008, the story is told from the separate perspectives of William and Julia, her sister Sylvia, and later William and Julia’s daughter Alice. As seen through their eyes, the novel addresses the complexities of family life, and how unexpected events can fracture the bonds that unite family members but can also reassemble them again.
One of the bombshells is Walter’s battle with depression, and how it leads him to divorce Julia and give up their daughter Alice, fearing his presence might somehow infect her as well. Despite this, the rest of the Padavano daughters refuse to turn their backs on him, and this leads him into developing a loving relationship with Sylvia. Other landmines rock the Padavano family, including the death of their beloved father, a child born out of wedlock, and one of the younger daughters coming out as gay. Napolitano masterfully weaves the themes of grief, loss, love and forgiveness into a fully realized story of the intricacies of family relationships. Published in 2023, the novel has won rave reviews for good reason. Capturing the personalities of William and the Padavano household, it is a story that rings true from beginning to end. It is sure to resonate and leave a lasting impression with most readers.
Robert Up At Dawn 