Evening Book Club: Book Club
Contact Information
For more information regarding the Evening Book Club, please contact: Jaclyn Gomez at jgomez@rcls.org
Meeting Schedule
Next Meeting:
July 28, 2025 at 7:00pm
Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
1. Who is your favorite character in this book? Who did you most identify with, and why?
2. 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?
3. How did the ending make you feel? What do you think might happen for William and Alice next?
4. 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?
5. HELLO BEAUTIFUL is initially narrated from three perspectives: William’s, Julia’s and Sylvie’s. Why do you think the author chose these particular characters to tell the story? Whose voice did you enjoy or relate to the most? How did you feel when Alice’s voice entered the story?
6. Discuss how mental health plays a role in the story of HELLO BEAUTIFUL. Did William’s depressive experience feel “real” to you, for example? What about his parents’?
7. Sylvie imagined her life to be full of “third doors,” or unexpected ways of living that allow her to choose her own path. What third doors can you see in your own life? Have you ever wanted to make an unexpected decision? What did you choose?
8. Charlie described his daughter Julia as his “rocket” --- an ambitious, independent woman who follows her own dreams. What about his other daughters: Do you think they fit that description as well, and how? What about Rose? You may take this opportunity to talk about the mother-daughter relationships in the novel as well.
9. HELLO BEAUTIFUL highlighted a series of romantic partnerships: Charlie and Rose’s, Julia and William’s, Sylvie and William’s, Emeline and Josie’s. Which relationship do you think was the ideal in terms of love and connection, and why? Which were the most challenging?
10. In addition to romantic relationships, HELLO BEAUTIFUL featured different types of nuclear families: William’s; the Padavanos; Julia and Alice’s; and the “super-duplex” where Cecelia, Izzy, Emeline and Josie live together. Talk about what family looks like in the pages of this novel. Which family appeals to you most?
11. Discuss the character of Alice. In what ways was she like her mother? Her father? Sylvie, the aunt she doesn’t remember?
12. While family was at the center of most of these characters’ lives, friendships were also of great, life-affirming importance. Kent and Carrie, for example, were vital to William’s and Alice’s existence. What do you think friends add to our lives that families don’t or can’t? Do you have a best friend like Kent or Carrie?
13. The characters in HELLO BEAUTIFUL keep secrets from each other, sometimes for years. Almost all of these secrets eventually come to light. Have you ever kept a secret from a loved one? Do you agree with the reasons why Emeline, Julia and Rose kept secrets from theirs?
14. When Sylvie finds out that she has cancer, she worries more about William than herself. Why? Discuss their relationship and the obstacles they faced. Would you make the same choices as Sylvie if you were in her position?
15. There are three mothers in HELLO BEAUTIFUL: Rose, Julia and Cecelia. Compare each of their parenting styles and decisions. Do you relate to one of them more than the others? Why or why not? What does a “good” mother look like in this novel?
16. Charlie is an imperfect father, but a beloved member of his community. Think about his relationships with his daughters --- especially with Julia and Sylvie. How did his love help to shape them? In what ways was Charlie a “good” or a “bad” father?
17. Over the course of the novel, several of the characters experience tragedy and loss. What do you think the novel is saying about resilience and hope in the face of difficult times? And how, if at all, does this messaging speak to you?
18. William realizes that he never felt loved by his parents. He experiences one type of love from Julia, and another type of love from Sylvie. Talk about the different expressions of love in this novel. What do you think this novel is saying about what love really is?
Source: https://www.readinggroupguides.com/reviews/hello-beautiful/guide
Book Summary
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
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 it's a relief when his skill on the basketball court earns him a scholarship to college, far away from his childhood home. He soon meets Julia Padavano, a spirited and ambitious young woman who surprises William with her appreciation of his quiet steadiness. With Julia comes her family; she is inseparable from her three younger sisters: Sylvie, the dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book and imagines a future different from the expected path of wife and mother; Cecelia, the family's artist; and Emeline, who patiently takes care of all of them. Happily, the Padavanos fold Julia's new boyfriend into their loving, chaotic household.
But then darkness from William's past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia's carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters' unshakeable loyalty 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 interview with the author
A Conversation with the Author
Book Reviews
Reviews of our current book.
Click on the links to read the full review!
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Literary Quicksand...Overall, I found this book to be pretty amazing. It was like a cozy family novel that I could pick up and fall into for a while (much like Little Women, which is referenced many times in Hello Beautiful), It’s largely character driven, but definitely has some events that happen to move things along. It’s about legacy, family, true love, grief, mental health, and more. I highly recommend Hello Beautiful and I think it would make a fantastic book club read. 5 full stars!
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Laurie is Reading...Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano is a little and simultaneously a big story about family dynamics and relationships, whilst dealing with heavy topics such as intergenerational trauma, loss and grief. The author introduces multiple characters at once, which might be confusing at the start. The writing can be confusing as well because of this. Once I got used to it, I was able to enjoy this book. However, it didn’t fully click with me, I felt quite a distance to these characters. However, them coming of age is a great process to witness. If you don’t mind a challenging, tense but yet hopeful book with several triggers along the way, this book is suitable for you.
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Judith McKinnonI seemed to miss the Little Women references when I picked up Ann Napolitano’s latest novel, Hello Beautiful. Maybe I was distracted by all the basketball, but I was about three quarters of the way through when the penny dropped and it all made a lot more sense. Until then, I was wondering where it was all going as it just seems to be a nice story about a family, about love and loss, lies and betrayal, all nestling among the intriguingly varied personalities of the Padavano sisters...
The Author's Website
The author's website.
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Ann NapolitanoFor information on the author: back ground information, awards, bibliography, etc.