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. What choices did each character make that contributed to that rift. If you were involved in a similar situation, what might you have done?

3. Ann Napolitano has said that Hello Beautiful is an homage to Little Women. How do you feel about the comparison? What traces of Alcott’s novel do you see in the Padavano family.

4. Hello Beautiful is initially narrated from the perspectives of William, Julia, and Sylvie. Whose voice did you enjoy or relate to the most? How did you feel when Alice’s voice entered the story?

5. Discuss how mental health plays a role in the story Hello Beautiful. Did William’s depression feel “real” to you? What about his parents’?

6. There are three mothers in Hello Beautiful: Rose, Julia, and Cecilia. Compare their parenting styles and choices. Do you relate to one of them more than the others? What does a “good” mother look like in this novel?

7. Charlie is an imperfect husband and father, but a beloved member of his community. In what ways was he a positive role model to his daughters and how did his relationship with them impact who they became?

8. Many secrets are kept throughout the story. Have you ever kept a secret from a loved one? Do you agree with the reasons why Emeline, Julia, Sylvie, and Rose kept secrets from theirs?

9. When Sylvie finds out she has cancer, she worries more about William than herself. Why? Discuss the obstacles they faced. Would you make the same choices as Sylvie if you were in her position?

10. 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?

11. Discuss the character of Alice. In what ways was she like her mother? Her father? Sylvie?

12. How did the ending make you feel? What do you think might happen for William and Alice next?