Hello, Beautiful had
a visceral impact on me because it explores a painful situation I’m facing
right now—family estrangement. Seeing love come between two sisters who were
exceptionally close as children made my heart ache for my alienated sister.
From
the beginning of this eloquent narrative, I was drawn to the complex characters,
the vivid setting, and the immersive plot. Often compared to Little Women because of its focus on the inextricable bonds between sisters, thisis also a sweeping family narrative about love and loss, as well as rejection
and regret.
This is a novel that will echo in your mind long after you read the
last word.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Edward comes a poignant and engrossing family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole?
“Hello Beautiful is exactly that: beautiful, perceptive, wistful. It’s a story of family and friendship, of how the people we are bound to can also set us free. I loved it.”—Miranda Cowley Heller, author of The Paper Palace
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…
I discovered this short and powerful novel at a
small bookstore in the Berkshires and devoured it in one reading.
Told through
the eyes of a young and impoverished girl in rural Ireland, Foster reels you
into the narrative quietly, with a spare, evocative prose. “I wonder why my
father lies about the hay. He is given to lying about things that would be
nice, if they were true.”
Author Claire Keegan winds you into the story until you are fully
immersed in the plot and characters, then lurches you into the unexpected, a
haunting darkness that underlies the entire narrative.
My only regret is that I didn’t discover this novel when it was first published in
2010.
** Adapted into the Oscar-nominated film adaptation, An Cailin Ciuin / The Quiet Girl **
From the author of the Booker-shortlisted Small Things Like These, a heartbreaking, haunting story of childhood, loss and love by one of Ireland's most acclaimed writers.
'A real jewel.' Irish Independent
'A small miracle.' Sunday Times
'A thing of finely honed beauty.' Guardian
'Thrilling.' Richard Ford
'As good as Chekhov.' David Mitchell
It is a hot summer in rural Ireland. A girl is sent to live with foster parents on a farm, not knowing when she will return home. In the strangers' house, she finds…
The title of this novel caught my attention immediately,
as I have been navigating difficult relationships with both of my daughters
over the last several years.
I decided to buy this book after reading the first
sentence: “The first time I saw my granddaughters, I was standing across the
street, didn’t dare go closer.” How awful, I thought, not being able to
approach your own grandchildren.
I’ve never read anything by Hila Blum before,
and now I consider her one of the best writers I’ve come across in a long time. This is timely and provocative, and her unreliable narrator,
Yoella, will seep into your soul.
WINNER OF THE SAPIR PRIZE 2022
'A mesmerising, disquieting tale of family estrangement ... Unforgettable' OBSERVER
'A striking and memorable novel' MEG WOLITZER
'A stone-cold masterwork of psychological tension. Its final pages had me holding my breath' NEW YORK TIMES
'Hila Blum is my new favourite writer' LOUISE KENNEDY
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What damage do we do in the blindness of love?
Thousands of miles from her home, a woman stands on a dark street, peeking through well-lit windows at two little girls. They are the daughters of her only daughter, the grandchildren she's never met.
At the centre of this mesmerising…
Inspired by true events in World War II Latvia, an emotionally charged novel of sacrifice, trauma, resilience, and survival, as witnessed by three generations of women.
A magnificent, emotionally powerful story of family and the lingering devastation of war, The Daughters of the Occupation explores how trauma is passed down in families and illuminates the strength and grace that can be shared by generations.
