Kerrin 's Reviews > Hello Beautiful

3 1/2 stars, rounded down.

Hello Beautiful is a tribute to Little Women in that it revolves around four Chicago sisters who are very close as children. Their father, Charlie Padavano, would always greet each of them with "Hello Beautiful!" when they entered the room. Charlie was loved by everyone who knew him, except his wife who was always disappointed in his lack of success.

Julia, the eldest, is described as her father's "rocket" who is destined to go places. She is very much like their mother, who can be distant. Sylvie, only a year younger than Julia, is more like her father. Emmeline, the nurturer, and Cecilia, the artist, are twins. The four women seem to move in a group at times since they are so interconnected.

In college, Julia falls in love with a basketball player named William Waters. William's parents were very broken after the death of their daughter. They never loved William and he grew up isolated and alone, with basketball his only refuge. William is thrilled to be taken in by the whirlwind that is the Padavano family.

Tragedy strikes, not once but twice, causing a rift. In the end, just as in Little Women, one of the sisters learns she is dying. Will that be enough to heal the deeply wounded family?

I mostly enjoyed this story, but I never fully connected with the characters, especially Julia and William. When I rate something 3 stars, it doesn't mean I didn't like it, just that I didn't love it. I would be hesitant to recommend it, but I think I will be an outlier on this.