new york times book review hello beautiful

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‘Hi, This Is Oprah Winfrey. I Read Your Novel and Loved It So Much.’

Ann Napolitano toiled in obscurity for years. Novels went unpublished; agents turned her down. She found recognition with “Dear Edward.” Then came the call: “Hello Beautiful” was the 100th pick for what is arguably the most influential book club in the world.

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By Elisabeth Egan

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Maybe it was fate, maybe it was the meddling of a higher power with a wicked sense of humor. Either way, Ann Napolitano was taking out the garbage when Oprah Winfrey called to tell her that her novel, “ Hello Beautiful ,” is the 100th selection for what is arguably the most influential book club in the world.

Napolitano was so afraid of losing the connection that she stood stock-still in the tiny vestibule of her Park Slope apartment building, clutching her bag of trash, for the duration of the 27-minute call.

To be clear, we’re talking about Oprah’s Book Club — the O.G. reading group , trusty launching pad to the best-seller list and sourdough starter for dozens of iterations, celebrity sponsored and otherwise. Yes, Booktok is nipping at Winfrey’s heels, especially where young readers are concerned, but her endorsement is still a golden ticket.

In the 26 years since Oprah’s Book Club announced “ The Deep End of the Ocean ” as its inaugural pick, the literary world has adjusted to the internet, electronic readers, smartphones and social media. Imprints closed, publishing houses consolidated, bookstores sprouted coffee shops and stopped selling CDs — and, through it all, the club established itself as a force, burnishing the careers of Wally Lamb, Cheryl Strayed, Lalita Tademy, Uwem Akpan, Isabel Wilkerson and Ta-Nehisi Coates, to name a few.

Its machinations are still shrouded in mystery. Boxes of anointed books arrive at stores the day before a title’s publication date, to reduce the risk that customers will catch a glimpse of the club’s signature seal on a cover. Authors, agents and publishers are asked to sign nondisclosure agreements.

“Hello Beautiful,” Napolitano’s fourth novel, came out Tuesday from The Dial Press and Winfrey announced it as her 100th book club selection on “CBS Mornings.” Only now, almost five months after Napolitano’s conversation with Winfrey, can the author share the news with her sons, who are 13 and 15.

So how did “Hello Beautiful” land on Winfrey’s radar? And what was it like for Napolitano to get the nod? The short answers are simple and obvious (It’s a great book! She was thrilled!), but the expanded versions prove the equalizing power of a good story.

Sitting in front of a lush Hawaii hillside that looked like a fake Zoom background but definitely wasn’t, Winfrey talked about the challenge of finding her 100th pick. The symbolic weight of it was on her mind. She wanted to find a book that would engage “every different sector of the population,” one she could recommend from an “authentically enthusiastic space.”

“I went through many, many, many books, reading two and three at a time,” Winfrey said, projecting her familiar voice over the sound of rowdy bird song.

None of the candidates had the universal appeal Winfrey was looking for.

The vast majority of prospective titles go through a vetting process after publishers and agents present them to the book club, but “Hello Beautiful” took an unusual path. Winfrey’s friend, Richard Lovett, co-chairman of Creative Artists Agency, mentioned that Michelle Weiner, the co-head of CAA’s books department, had a novel she thought Winfrey would be interested in.

“Every time somebody suggests that, it’s never true. It’s never something I actually want to read,” Winfrey said. “I was like, OK, send it to me.”

She devoured “Hello Beautiful” on a rainy day in front of her fireplace, curled up with a blanket and her dog. She said, “I was like 30 pages in and said, OK, this is the book. You cannot read it without being opened. It just opens you in ways you didn’t know were closed.”

The novel follows four sisters — Julia, Sylvie, Cecilia and Emeline Padavano — through decades of love, loss and (major) secret keeping. One falls in love with another’s ex-husband and the fallout is as complicated as you’d expect; somehow Napolitano persuades you to leave judgment at the door. The prevailing message is about the indomitability of family.

“Not since Jo and Meg and Amy and Beth have we seen sisters like this, with this kind of connection, and written so vividly that you feel like you’re in that home,” Winfrey said. “You’re experiencing life with them. I am telling you, the ending? I mourned . What an extraordinary writer Ann is.”

The iconic talk show host isn’t your average bookworm, but when she starts talking about what it’s like to fall in love with a novel —“Something starts whispering to me,” Winfrey said, “and I want to know more and I want to know more and I want to know more” — it’s hard to tell the difference.

“What I’m always trying to do is allow people to be lifted by the story somehow, and to see themselves — the people they know, their life — and come away feeling more connected,” Winfrey said. “Ann is one of those authors who’s able to do that without wearing it on her sleeve, without putting it out there in such a way that you feel preached to.”

Napolitano’s third book, “ Dear Edward ,” was a best seller, a Read With Jenna pick and the basis for an 10-episode Apple TV + series starring Connie Britton . The book has sold nearly 400,000 copies.

But until “Dear Edward” sold in a 10-imprint auction in 2018, Napolitano’s career was rife with rejection and disappointment. She wrote two novels that never sold. Her father was so concerned about her prospects that he paid for a full-day career test that flagged her potential as a park ranger.

Napolitano struggled with depression. After being turned down by 80 agents, she signed with one who, sadly, died a few years later. She juggled a series of jobs — teaching, editing, corporate and educational writing, working as a personal assistant for Sting and Trudie Styler — while carving out short windows of time for her novel in progress. She couldn’t afford child care. At one point, Napolitano and her husband, Dan Wilde, had no health insurance. Her second published book, “A Good Hard Look,” (2011) took seven years to write, and “Dear Edward” (2020) took eight.

“I’ve always had low expectations,” Napolitano said during an interview in a conference room at Random House. “Everything went so slowly or badly that all I wanted was a chance to do it again. I have to keep writing. I wasn’t ever counting on success.”

Getting the call from Winfrey was, she said, “one of the most exciting things that’s ever happened to me in my life. I felt like I went into full menopause because my whole body system was just adrenalized and it was so crazy.”

Napolitano was both tickled and horrified that, while she was reeling from the news, Winfrey launched into a series of questions about her writing process: “In that moment I was like, This is mean! That Oprah Winfrey thinks she can call you and expect you to have an intelligent conversation with her with no warning!”

She remembered how, at the end of their phone call, Winfrey said, “Writers are my rock stars and you’re a rock star.” Still shaky with disbelief, Napolitano unloaded her trash and walked a block to feed the meter in a two-hour parking lot. It was Oct. 20, 2022, the eve of her 51st birthday, the kind of crisp afternoon that lights Brooklyn like a movie set.

Napolitano’s agent, Julie Barer, and her editor, Whitney Frick, had already heard from Winfrey’s team and were waiting for Napolitano to get the news. “I was running to my kids’ school and Julie texted me and said, ‘She called Ann!’ And I knew exactly what that meant,” said Frick, who is vice president and editor in chief at The Dial Press. “It’s really fun when good things happen for good people.”

Barer, who is a partner at The Book Group, said, “Ann is extremely humble and hardworking. She’s no drama. She has an enormous heart and a tremendous capacity for compassion, and I think she brings that to her writing — about the messiness of relationships, and about forgiveness and empathy. It’s not like she’s Pollyanna; she’s not saying it’s all going to be great. Just that it’s going to be OK, and we’re in it together.”

The three of them celebrated with a three-way chat. Then Napolitano finally went home and told her husband — who never second-guessed her writing career, even during lean times — why it had taken her so long to dispose of the garbage.

“Ann walked in wearing a coat and said, ‘Oprah Winfrey just called me on my phone,’” Wilde recalled in an email. “Her eyes were wide with adrenaline, a contrast from her default steadiness. The first thought that came to mind was ‘Yeah, that makes sense.’”

He’d seen how “Hello Beautiful” had overtaken Napolitano. Writing “Dear Edward,” she’d said, had been like entering a separate world, happily, then leaving when she felt like it. The Padavano sisters took a different approach: they occupied Napolitano, demanding attention, bringing their saints, their coffee and their chaos.

“It was a very intense experience,” Napolitano said. “The story raced out of me. It was like holding onto the fender of a car, being banged across town.”

Napolitano started “Hello Beautiful” in April 2020, the loneliest chapter of the pandemic, a time of fear and isolation. It was also the month her father died.

“We weren’t able to see him when he was dying and we weren’t able to gather, like so many people,” Napolitano said. “I was trying to find connection and love, and I needed that house with those loud sisters. It really did feel like I needed this book.”

Winfrey echoed a version of the same sentiment. “I felt less alone because of books during that period of being isolated,” she said, describing how, “as a girl growing up in Mississippi and Milwaukee, all the times I felt so removed and not valued, it was books — ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,’ in particular — that made me feel that I was connected to the world.”

She went on, “And so, in the beginning was the word. The power of the word to help transform our own emotions and our own belief in what’s possible for us? I don’t think anything transcends that.”

Audio produced by Tally Abecassis .

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Summary and Reviews of Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio

Hello Beautiful

• BookBrowse Review:
• Critics' Consensus ( 7 ) :
• Readers' Rating ( 10 ):
• First Published:
• Mar 14, 2023, 400 pages
• Nov 2024, 416 pages

• Literary Fiction
• Midwest, USA
• 1980s & '90s
• Contemporary
• Parenting & Families
• Adult-YA Crossover Fiction
• Female Friendships
• Strong Women
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• Buy This Book Amazon Bookshop.org

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Book Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Edward comes a poignant and engrossing family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole?

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.

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 ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

• Who is your favorite character in this book? Who did you most identify with, and why?
• Discuss the rift that occurs between William, Julia, and Sylvie, and the choices each character makes to contribute to that rift. If you were involved in a similar situation, what might you have done?
• How did the ending make you feel? What do you think might happen for William and Alice next?
• Ann Napolitano has said that Hello Beautiful is an homage to Louisa May Alcott's Little Women . Have you read Little Women —and, if so, what traces of Alcott's classic novel of sisterhood do you see in Napolitano's?
• Hello Beautiful is initially narrated from three perspectives: William's, Julia's, and Sylvie's. Why do you think the author chose these ...
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Reader reviews, bookbrowse review.

Each character has virtues: Sylvie, the bookworm romantic with her head screwed on straight; Julia, the planner obsessed with finding and fixing all flaws; Cecelia, the sentimental artist; and Emeline, the nurturing caregiver. Yet, most importantly, they have major flaws. They run from challenges. They hurt easily and hold grudges. They are emotional, they are thrown into irrational decisions seemingly at a whim. They have egos and tempers. But at the forefront of all the conflict is the desire for forgiveness: to receive it, and to dole it out. That, and the desire for love... continued

(Reviewed by Abby Edgecumbe ).

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Beyond the Book

The therapeutic value of walt whitman's poetry.

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• Genres & Themes

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Word of Mouth

Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:, hello beautiful.

The New York Times bestselling author of DEAR EDWARD returns with HELLO BEAUTIFUL. This triumphant, emotionally resonant story is about the transformative power of love, and the beauty and growth that come with meeting others as we are while accepting them the same way.

The Padavano girls --- Julia, Sylvie, and twins Cecelia and Emeline --- have long considered themselves Italian American versions of Louisa May Alcott’s March sisters. They are woven into the fabric of each other’s lives, and they are so close that they have been able to identify, champion and celebrate the strongest traits of one another and use them to uplift the entire group. So when eldest sister Julia --- the spitting image of her driven, focused and critical mother, Rose --- finds a quiet, methodical and handsome man to settle down with in college, the girls are thrilled. As the first one of them to fall in love and add to their family unit, Julia gives the others hope in the promise that all will work out as they have always dreamed. Not only has she softened around the edges, she seems to have broken the curse of her own mother’s marriage to a pleasant and loving, but feckless and irresponsible man.

"HELLO BEAUTIFUL is a sweeping, perceptive and beautifully rendered family saga that could only be achieved by an author at the height of her literary powers.... Book clubs will no doubt find much to reflect on, discuss and deepen their connections with in this generous, healing novel."

Julia’s romance may not be the stuff of classics, but in William Waters she has found her ideal complement. A quiet but smart man with no serious ambitions (though he could do anything if he sets his mind to it), William is the perfect outlet for Julia’s need for control and ability to problem-solve. Within moments of meeting him, she has their wedding, careers, promotions and old age planned and sorted for them. Accommodating, polite William, who still cannot believe his luck in catching the eye of a gorgeous, brilliant girl, is more than happy to follow her lead. Until his own past rears its ugly head.

As a child, William lived for exactly six days as a younger brother until his three-year-old sister, Caroline, died suddenly in her crib. With his birth seeming to announce the painful end to his parents’ joy, William is left neglected and alone. His mother and father fed, clothed and supported him, but he never knew love or affection as a child --- at least not until he found basketball. Taking comfort in his ability to practice alone, William soon discovered a real talent and joined his school’s team, finding camaraderie and community in the sport but also a purpose. This necessary but unfulfilling coping mechanism guided him through college applications and acceptances. When he shook his father’s hand before leaving for college, he knew he would never see his dysfunctional folks again. Fortunately, he found a new family in Julia and her boisterous, loving home full of whimsical, serious and artistic girls, not to mention her parents, who quickly took him in as one of their own.

For the first quarter of HELLO BEAUTIFUL, Julia and William’s romance takes center stage. All seems perfect, almost alarmingly so. Were this novel written by a less accomplished author, their story alone might be enough. But this is an Ann Napolitano production, and therefore the narrative is so much richer and more complex. When Cecelia announces that she is pregnant at 17 and Julia quickly forces William to impregnate her as well, the births of their daughters do the same thing that William’s birth did for his family: they cause the Padavanos to implode. And when tragedy strikes them in a devastating, shocking blow, the entire clan unravels. Each is left to contemplate what role they really play in the family…and who they are alone, without the others to define them.

HELLO BEAUTIFUL is a sweeping, perceptive and beautifully rendered family saga that could only be achieved by an author at the height of her literary powers. At first glance an homage to LITTLE WOMEN, the book breathes new life into the classic by writing the sisters as individual, separate women: flawed, beautiful, demanding, loving and full of life. Each is wonderfully described, with Napolitano first employing stereotypes --- the bossy one, the bookish one, the artsy one, the loving one --- and then building strong, finely crafted and expertly nuanced personalities on these foundations.

But more than creating these vivid, relatable characters, Napolitano takes great care --- never wasting or misusing a word --- to examine their unique positions within the family and their own interpersonal dynamics. She often lays out a scene from one perspective and then goes back only a few hours or so from the point of view of another to analyze all of the emotions, pulls and draws, and painful decisions that go into every encounter: marriage, childbirth, sibling arguments, love, betrayal and coming of age. As the girls --- and William, my favorite character in perhaps all of Napolitano’s works --- transform and grow, Napolitano is constantly delivering uplifting, transcendent observations on life, love and what makes every encounter meaningful. The result is so beautiful that it is almost impossible to describe, an instant classic that will find a home with any reader.

An immersive work of fiction that is woven through with transformative, powerful grief, HELLO BEAUTIFUL is a soaring portrait of love. Perfect for readers of ASK AGAIN, YES, THE DEARLY BELOVED and THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD, it is sure to make many of this year’s “Best Of” lists. Book clubs will no doubt find much to reflect on, discuss and deepen their connections with in this generous, healing novel.

Reviewed by Rebecca Munro on March 17, 2023

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

• Publication Date: November 19, 2024
• Genres: Fiction , Women's Fiction
• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
• ISBN-10: 0593243757
• ISBN-13: 9780593243756

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HELLO BEAUTIFUL

by Ann Napolitano ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2023

Napolitano’s characters can break your heart as they work to mend their own.

Who do we deserve to love and be loved by?

Drawn into the orbit of a tightknit family upon falling for Julia, the eldest of the four Padavano sisters, William Waters experiences the kind of family solidarity, affection, and sense of belonging he never had with his own dysfunctional parents. William developed an (initially) effective coping strategy during his lonely childhood and devotes his energies toward succeeding in the only place he feels comfortable: the basketball court. College sweethearts, Julia and William marry and begin a life together directed mostly by Julia’s wishes for stability and status; the plan and relationship are derailed by William’s gradual decline into a crippling depression. Julia and William divorce, and William distances himself from their infant daughter, Alice, too. Relationships between and among William and all of the Padavanos rupture and realign over the ensuing decades as Napolitano spins a saga of familial love, deception, and hope for healing while adeptly highlighting each family member’s unique position in the narrative. Each of the Padavano girls is finely described—there's Julia, who's straightforward and driven; Sylvie, dreamy and romantic; and twins Cecelia (artistic) and Emeline (the sensitive moral compass of the group)—and it is entirely plausible that the girls envision themselves from time to time as the March sisters from Little Women . (Rounding out that parallel is the presence of a dreamy, poetic father and a hardworking, long-suffering mother.) More subtly, the influence of Walt Whitman is felt throughout the book, from epigraph to end, as characters come to terms with their roles in an evolving universe. As in Napolitano’s recent Dear Edward (2020), heartbreaking circumstances shatter the lives of relatable human characters who are unprepared for the task of building a meaningful life.

Pub Date: March 14, 2023

ISBN: 9780593243722

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Dial Press

Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023

LITERARY FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION

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New York Times Bestseller

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.

A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.

When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781250178633

Page Count: 480

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

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Kirkus Reviews' Best Books Of 2024

by Sally Rooney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 24, 2024

Though not perfect, a clear leap forward for Rooney; her grandmaster status remains intact.

Two brothers—one a lawyer, one a chess prodigy—work through the death of their father, their complicated romantic lives, and their even more tangled relationship with each other.

Ten years separate the Koubek brothers. In his early 30s, Peter has turned his past as a university debating champ into a career as a progressive lawyer in Dublin. Ivan is just out of college, struggling to make ends meet through freelance data analysis and reckoning with his recent free fall in the world chess rankings. When their father dies of cancer, the cracks in the brothers’ relationship widen. “Complete oddball” Ivan falls in love with an older woman, an arts center employee, which freaks Peter out. Peter juggles two women at once: free-spirited college student Naomi and his ex-girlfriend Sylvia, whose life has changed drastically since a car accident left her in chronic pain. Emotional chaos abounds. Rooney has struck a satisfying blend of the things she’s best at—sensitively rendered characters, intimacies, consideration of social and philosophical issues—with newer moves. Having the book’s protagonists navigating a familial rather than romantic relationship seems a natural next step for Rooney, with her astutely empathic perception, and the sections from Peter’s point of view show Rooney pushing her style into new territory with clipped, fragmented, almost impressionistic sentences. (Peter on Sylvia: “Must wonder what he’s really here for: repentance, maybe. Bless me for I have. Not like that, he wants to tell her. Why then. Terror of solitude.”) The risk: Peter comes across as a slightly blurry character, even to himself—he’s no match for the indelible Ivan—so readers may find these sections less propulsive at best or over-stylized at worst. Overall, though, the pages still fly; the characters remain reach-out-and-touch-them real.

Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024

ISBN: 9780374602635

Page Count: 464

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024

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Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel Hardcover – March 14, 2023

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 400 pages
• Language English
• Publisher The Dial Press
• Publication date March 14, 2023
• Dimensions 6.44 x 1.27 x 9.54 inches
• ISBN-10 0593243730
• ISBN-13 978-0593243732
• See all details

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com review, about the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved., product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Dial Press (March 14, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593243730
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593243732
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.44 x 1.27 x 9.54 inches
• #57 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
• #63 in Women's Domestic Life Fiction
• #92 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Videos for this product

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A story of sisterly drama - touches on sensitive subjects

Mackenzie Schwarz

About Hello Beautiful: Spoiler Free

Christa, Mom of 5

My thoughts on this New York Times Best Seller!

Mama Lisa Recommends

loosely based on LIttle Women--this was a slow burn

Marissa Larsen

Book Review - Hello Beautiful

Amber Shand

Customer Review: The physical book (not the content) is terrible

Amazon Customer

Hello Beautiful and Oprah, 100th Book Club Pick

Courtney PhD & Nick PT

Honest Review Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano - The Scoop

✅The Purpose Lab

Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel

Penguin Random House LLC

A Must Read? *No Spoilers!*

Teressa & Corey

About the author

Ann napolitano.

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

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 61% 26% 9% 2% 2% 61%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 61% 26% 9% 2% 2% 26%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 61% 26% 9% 2% 2% 9%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 61% 26% 9% 2% 2% 2%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 61% 26% 9% 2% 2% 2%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers find the book believable and worth their time. They describe the story as beautiful, emotional, and touching. Readers praise the writing quality as well-written, superb, and excellent. They also find the moments of sadness and loss devastating. Customers find the characters captivating and intrigued by the depth of personality. However, some find the book boring, disappointing, and depressing.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the book interesting, beautiful, and worth their time. They say it does a good job of armchair psychology. Readers also mention the story is touching, sweet, and thoughtful.

"...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

"...My only regret is not reading it sooner, it's A most wonderful tale . The ending is truly BEAUTIFUL...." Read more

"The title first attracted me. The art spoke of much love . The stories and relationship of each character were graciously woven...." Read more

Customers find the story wonderful, beautiful, and moving. They say it's a tribute to family and redemption. Readers also appreciate the complexity of love, family, and friendships.

"...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

"...The ending is truly BEAUTIFUL . Do yourself the favor of reading this incredibly well done book." Read more

"I could not really get into the mood for this book as the beginning seemed to descriptive and I needed more action..." Read more

Customers find the writing quality of the book superb, with excellent syntax and detail. They describe the book as easy to read, a page-turner, and true to life. Readers also mention the experiences are familiar.

"...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

"A family history of life, love and loss. So well written with each character becoming a welcomed friend...." Read more

"Overall it was ok, easy to read . Not all the characters were likable, and the complexity of each character could have been developed more...." Read more

Customers find the book heartwarming, touching, inspirational, and hopeful. They say the words exude warmth and empathy. Readers mention the last few chapters are thought-provoking, with a good discussion of depression and the impact of family dynamics early in a child's life.

"...This book is a love story. It is about acceptance, heartbreak, forgiveness , and understanding. Napolitano’s writing is thoughtful and beautiful...." Read more

"...I found it inspirational and love hopeful." Read more

"Highly recommend. Great family story about love, loss and redemption ...." Read more

"WOW… what an emotional story !!! I don’t think there aren’t enough words to describe how heartbreaking this books is...." Read more

Customers find the characters captivating, intriguing, and colorful. They say they feel every emotion the characters experience.

"...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

"Overall it was ok, easy to read. Not all the characters were likable , and the complexity of each character could have been developed more...." Read more

"...I think I highlighted about 20 in this book. Characters are well developed . Plot is good and keeps moving...." Read more

Customers find the book boring, predictable, and disappointing. They say it's dull and not the best they have ever read. Readers also mention the characters are unbelievable and unlovable.

"...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

"Although it was depressing most of the read . It was well written and bittersweet in the end. I enjoyed it regardless...." Read more

"This is a well-written book with very human characters who are easy to love ! The book was very believable. I highly recommend it!" Read more

"...It was OK; not a complete waste of time, but definitely not a best book of the year ." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some mention it's moving and emotional, while others say it becomes tedious and drags.

"...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

"...I’d recommend but this is not a quick/easy read ." Read more

"...Characters are well developed. Plot is good and keeps moving ...." Read more

"...The set up dragged out a bit for me and I was wondering if I would ever finish this book!..." Read more

Customers find the pace of the book too slow and rushed. They also say the events seem rushed and the last quarter of the book drags out.

"...The first 100 pages were very slow . I understand it was setting the mood however I wish it could have been done in 50 pages instead...." Read more

"This book was a little slow to start for me , but then I just kept wanting to read. The characters are flawed but likeable...." Read more

"...It moved at a great pace , really drew me in and I loved it. Wish the first parts of the book had been better edited." Read more

"...I'm not sure i would have read it otherwise. It had parts that seemed to drag , other parts were full of life...." Read more

Reviews with images

Beautiful and heartaching

• Sort by reviews type Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written…

Reviewed in the united states on march 9, 2024.

4.0 out of 5 stars It improves as you read further...

Reviewed in the united states on september 9, 2023.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful tribute.

Reviewed in the united states on november 24, 2024, 5.0 out of 5 stars our story if only we have had the courage to tell it., reviewed in the united states on november 10, 2024.

3.0 out of 5 stars Meh...

Reviewed in the united states on october 12, 2024, 5.0 out of 5 stars incredible, reviewed in the united states on december 2, 2024, top reviews from other countries, 5.0 out of 5 stars rich story-telling and character development, reviewed in canada on september 1, 2024, 5.0 out of 5 stars entretenido, reviewed in mexico on august 18, 2024, 5.0 out of 5 stars adorei, reviewed in brazil on may 27, 2024, 5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful, reviewed in the united kingdom on december 5, 2024, 5.0 out of 5 stars tolles buch, reviewed in germany on november 21, 2024.

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