Ann Napolitano

HELLO BEAUTIFUL by Ann Napolitano

While honoring Little Women (in a more grownup, grittier way), Hello Beautiful paints a—well, beautiful—portrait of the “one-two punches” of life: With goodbyes come hellos, with losses come gains, with death comes life. And while this is a story about a family, it’s really more so about relationships and kindness and looking out for each other and how we’re shaped by the conflict of living in both the shadowed brokenness and lighted beauty of the world—something that can only be tempered with the broad, colorful strokes of love.

This story begins in the black and white and gray scale of William’s world where he grows up unloved and unacknowledged—a silent, frozen tundra of an isolated childhood, full of fissures and cracks. It’s not until he discovers his first love, basketball, as a kid, and then his second love, Julia, as a college basketball player that he begins to live in the warmth of color. But, really, it’s his entanglement with Julia’s family that begins to open his world to the palette of possibilities he never imagined, answering the question: is love enough? Is love enough to cover the losses we experience from acts of bravery and cowardice and selfishness? Is love enough to bring us out of the dark shadows, making us feel worthy and whole?

If you pick up this book (and you definitely should), be sure of a few things: have time (because you’ll ignore all other responsibilities until you finish it) and have tissues (you’ll cry—a lot—like from beginning to end). Honestly, this will pull you in, making you utterly besotted by these characters who feel both uniquely original and nostalgically familiar. And if you’re lucky enough to have a sister, this will make you want to reminisce about late-night childhood talks in your shared bedroom (or just reach out to say I love you)… (more)

Within Arm's Reach by Ann Napolitano is a highly recommended literary family drama featuring three generations of an Irish-American family. First published in 2004, this was Napolitano's debut novel and showcases her early skillful ability to create finely drawn characters and bring them to life.

Catharine, the matriarch of the Irish-American McLaughlin clan, is approaching 80 years-old. Catharine has the gift of visions and has conversations with deceased relatives, a gift of her heritage. She has 6 surviving children after losing three. Kelly, 56, is her oldest surviving daughter, is married to Louis and mother to Lila and Gracie. Now Gracie is pregnant and Catharine is sure this baby, this start of the next generation will help bind the family together again. Right now the whole family keeps a tight rein on their emotions. This new addition may change everything.

The narrative unfolds through the point-of-view of six different characters : Gracie, Catharine, Louis, Lila, Kelly, and Noreen Ballen (Catharine's nurse). These are all fully realized, exquisitely written characters who came to life on the page. They are all portrayed as real individuals, with different opinions, flaws, strengths, and conflicting emotions.

The writing is excellent in this portrait of three generations of a family. Within Arm’s Reach demonstrates how interconnected the members of a family can be and how they inherit more than they realize from their ancestors. I enjoyed everything about this novel except for the fact that it was left open ended. Certainly it showcases the developing talent of a gifted writer. It was a pleasure to read this debut novel from 2004 since I loved and adored both Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/04/within-arms-reach.html… (more)

had two brothers -- no sisters. Perhaps that's why I never could identify with Little Women, and Hello Beautiful didn't really make a big impression on me either. The characters seemed shallow and the story a bit melodramatic. The best thing I got out of it was an AI generator I found online that created snack recipes based on the book. I've attached three vegetarian recipes that include a short description of their connection to the story.

We liked the book; no one objected to reading it. No one had 4 sisters so we didn't talk about that aspect at all. Julie Poe's favorite book in her life is "Little Women;" she objected to the sisters pretending to be them. Like you, Julie has 2 brothers. My big objection was Julia's life in NY. Everything came so easily to her: where she and her daughter lived, $$$ for daycare, someone to watch Alice, her grandmother's friend being on the board of her co-op and OKing her to live in the building. The icing on the cake was her salary of $300,000 and living in a 2 bedroom on the Upper East Side. Does anyone know how expensive it is to live in NY???!!! No way could this happen , , if it were possible, I'd be living there myself. Betty Ann did not find Julia as objectionable as the rest of us did. Sylvie was our favorite. The book was definitely a soap opera in the making. On a soap, when Sylvie died, she would be replaced by her unknown twin who, then, mysteriously appeared on the show.

We did have a good discussion. Julia's relationship with Alice, telling her her father was dead. Rose's suddenly loving her family, when William died. We all hoped William and Alice would be close but there was a lot of work to be done.… (more)