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Morris County Book Club

A local book club that meets in-person once a month on the fourth Tuesday in the Conference Room at the Morris County Library in Whippany, NJ from 6:30-7:45 pm. Please only join this book club if you plan on committing to reading the book club selection and attending the meetings each month. Please change your RSVP if you are not able to attend. Try to arrive 10-15 minutes prior to the meeting to socialize and get to know other members. Bring a copy of the book (if you can).

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

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 WomenHello 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.

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400 pages

Average rating: 7.43

1,700 RATINGS

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45 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

JCousin
Apr 25, 2024
7/10 stars
Writing is well done and I enjoyed getting to know the different characters. I loved the sister bonds that could not be broken. It was a little bit too sappy sometimes, but overall, a good read.
DD86
Apr 09, 2024
10/10 stars
Although the back of the book and review say this novel is about a man named William, I find he plays a backseat to the Padavano sisters - it really is a book about them. Napolitano doesn't have three sisters, but she definitely gets the dynamics right. The Padavano sisters are from an Italian family who grew up in the poorer part of Chicago. However monetarily poor, they are rich in love. The sisters live, breathe and love each other and eac...read more
Grettyyy
Mar 31, 2024
7/10 stars
Without reading the synopsis I was drawn to this book, unaware of the emotional ride it was. It’s written in third person which can be hard to connect with. However, it’s written as a biography and each event held so much emotion. Some chapters are overly long, which I felt took away from the story. Would I recommend it, yes. But be prepared that this is not a pallet cleanser.
Natalie2392
Mar 21, 2024
8/10 stars
This is not a book I would typically read, however, I’m so happy that I did. Also, I had never read Little Women, so it wasn’t until page 302 that I realized this was a homage to that book. I found this book to be compelling because of the switching of narratives. I found it interesting to see how the different characters experienced the same thing. The book also felt personal and like you were a part of each characters’ lives. It was definite...read more
Julie Lalande
Mar 19, 2024
9/10 stars
What a gift. Such an emotionally intelligent read. The story is plausible yet complicated as many families,and relationships are. So grateful to have read this. I rate this book a 9 out of 10, wondering why it doesn’t earn that one last rating… I fault it to my own impatience, the book starts to grip me at page 56 or at this chapter and maybe it is the “ordinariness” of the characters but it has a true commitment to its characters and richness i...read more

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