Hello Beautiful 4.5 stars > Likes and Comments

It’s hard to describe this book without a lot of spoilers. This story opens with the life of William, growing up in Chicago in the 1960s and 70s. He’s a lonely little boy whose parents, frankly, don’t want him, after his younger sister dies. He learns to play basketball because he’s tall and it’s something he can do alone. He’s got a number of psychological problems – no surprise considering his parents. Across town, a few years later, is a household comprised of the four Padavano sisters, with a charming and loving, but somewhat unstable, father, Charlie, who is not much of a provider, and their long-suffering mother. The love and laughter in the family are real, but so is the potential for many family issues – unplanned pregnancy, wrong choice of spouse, resentment, a gay family member, numerous lies, and deceptions. With William stirred into this mix there’s additional opportunity for drama. This is essentially a family drama, and I enjoyed it. The sisters are all very different from each other but they maintain a deep bond that outlasts all the strains across several decades. In fact, I felt a few times that their bond was unbelievable in the circumstances. Nonetheless, I liked following their stories and didn’t think it became saccharine. All characters underwent substantial growth and development, which I found very satisfying