Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

I adored 'Dear Edward' so knew I was going to love Hello Beautiful, but never guessed how much. The Padavano sisters really got under my skin. Each character was so finely nuanced, both fragile and brave. I read with tears on my cheeks. An incredible accomplishment. Which sister am I? Which sister are you?

From the back

Best friends and sisters, the four Padavano girls bring loving chaos to their close-knit Italian American neighbourhood. 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, it's as if the world has lit up around him.

With Julia comes her family: Sylvie, the family's dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book; Cecelia is a free-spirited artist; and Emeline patiently takes care of them all. But when darkness from William's past begins to block the light of his future, it is Sylvie, not Julia, who becomes his closest confidante. The result is a catastrophic rift that leaves the family inhabiting two sides of a fault line.

Can they find their way back to each other? Can love make a broken family whole?-----