Ann Napolitano's Hello Beautiful is a book that under ordinary circumstances I never would have picked up. Adult fiction that isn't a chiller or issue centered--the everyday life of grown ups--is a genre that I tend to pass over. But I'd run out of inter library loans. My emergency stash of thrift shop/yard sale books was really low.
This past summer I'd been one of the winners of the Orono Public Library summer reading challenge. Hello Beautiful was one of my prizes. I thought "Might as well."
Obviously I'm glad I did . I have no qualms whatsoever about ditching books I just can't get into. I read it through to the end. Even though one of my favorite characters gets a terminal cancer diagnosis.
A tribute to Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, Hello Beautiful centers on nearly five decades in the life of a family with four daughters: Julia the planner, book loving Sophie, and the twins--artistic Cecelia and nurturing Emeline. The girls are extremely close knit, relying almost exclusively on each other. The parents seem for the most part disillusioned with marriage and life. The mother (Rose) is quite strict and judgmental. When 17-year-old Cecelia gets pregnant and insists on keeping the baby Rose kicks her out and Emeline goes with her.
"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."
Unfortunately for William, Caroline's death had a devastating effect on his parents who parented him by what can best be described as benign neglected. Finally when he was ten he was recognized as a basketball player. Entering high school he started for the varsity team, gaining not only an identity, but a tribe.
When Julia and William wed it's anything but a marriage made in heaven. Julia is intent on pushing him to become a published writer college professor. Not gonna happen. When their union comes to a very messy end, not only do Julia and baby Alice leave William, but relationships in the larger family unit become strained in new and dangerous ways.
What I like best about Hello Beautiful is that it's told by multiple narrators and focuses on their perceptions and feelings in a way that does not create heroes and villains, but flawed and relatable human beings. I think it would be a wonderful read and discuss for open, honest, and trusting book clubs.
On a purrrsonal note, I'm staying home (which is quite a privilege, one I won't have when I land a job) due to the predicted extreme windchill. The rest of the week will be super exciting. Tuesday and Wednesday I'll run the canteen for the Red Cross Blood Drive. Wednesday before that I'll make the rounds of the big campus career fair. Thursday I will be tabling for Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund. And Friday I'll be paparazzi for and participate in a Valentines goodie bag making event. I should be getting more pictures of the Valentines groups are creating for Operation Valentine. And I'm sure people will be talking about it. It should be a super rewarding week even if the weather outside is frightful.
A great big shout out goes out to all who will be involved in the events.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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