Introducing Hello Beautiful
The Oprah US|Volume 3. No 2 - 2023
This excerpt from the 100th Oprah's Book Club pick has it all: first love, nosy sisters, embarrassing dads, and a little poetry.
ANN NAPOLITANO
Introducing Hello Beautiful

Julia was in the back garden, an 18-by-16-foot rectangle hemmed by wooden fences, watching her mother dig up the last of the season's potatoes at the exact time William was due at the house. She knew he'd be punctual and that one of her sisters would let him in. William would probably be flustered by her father, who would ask him if he knew any poetry by heart, and by Emeline and Cecelia, who wouldn't cease moving or talking. Sylvie was working at the library, so he'd be spared her inquisitive stare. A few minutes alone with her sisters and father would help William to get to know them-Julia wanted him to see how lovable they were and, as a bonus, he'd be extra thrilled to see her when she walked inside. Julia was famous within her family for making an entrance, which really just meant that she thought about timing, whereas no one else in her family did. As a young child, Julia would twirl into the kitchen or living room, calling out, Ta-da!

What would William think of their small house, squeezed in next to identical squat brick houses on 18th Place? The Padavanos lived in Pilsen, a working-class neighborhood filled with immigrants. Colorful murals adorned the sides of buildings, and in the local supermarket, you were as likely to hear Spanish or Polish as English. Julia worried that William would find both the neighborhood and the inside of her family's home shabby. The floral couch covered in plastic.

Julia shivered. She wasn't wearing a coat; it was 40 degrees out, and most Chicagoans refused to consider it cold until the temperature dropped below freezing. "I like him," she said to her mother's back.

"Is he a drunk?"

"No. He's a basketball player. And an honors student. He's going to major in history."

"Is he as smart as you?"

This story is from the Volume 3. No 2 - 2023 edition of The Oprah US.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Volume 3. No 2 - 2023 edition of The Oprah US.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE OPRAH USView All
The BEST BOOKS of 2024
The Oprah US

The BEST BOOKS of 2024

We all loved Oprah's Book Club selections this year (did you read them all?), but here are our editors' favorite standouts on the shelves-from the thoughtprovoking to the heartwarming to the hilarious.

time-read
8 mins  |
Holiday 2024
The Summer I TOOK My Mom "HOME"
The Oprah US

The Summer I TOOK My Mom "HOME"

Whenever I tell people about the Last Trip Home I took to Italy with my 87-year-old mother and my older son last summer, everyone has the same response (\"Awwww...\"), which makes me feel like a fraud because I know they're imagining some gauzy scene. And to be fair, I'd tried to plan it that way.

time-read
4 mins  |
Holiday 2024
PARIS Made ME DO IT
The Oprah US

PARIS Made ME DO IT

Travel maybe shouldn't be any different than \"regular\" life, but it is.

time-read
2 mins  |
Holiday 2024
LOST And Found IN AMERICA
The Oprah US

LOST And Found IN AMERICA

When I was 21, I spent the summer driving around the United States with my boyfriend. It amazes me, looking back, that I let myself go on that eight-week trip.

time-read
2 mins  |
Holiday 2024
I WENT I Saw, HATE
The Oprah US

I WENT I Saw, HATE

Ten years ago, I went to Tokyo on a lark. I was invited to the opening of the 38-story Aman Tokyo hotel, a beautiful example of urban minimalism and a destination unto itself.

time-read
3 mins  |
Holiday 2024
Trips That Changed US All Forever
The Oprah US

Trips That Changed US All Forever

Me, MOM, And A Thousand SEABIRDS

time-read
5 mins  |
Holiday 2024
Dear Biohackers, The Secrets to Longevity Are Simpler Than You Think
The Oprah US

Dear Biohackers, The Secrets to Longevity Are Simpler Than You Think

In a world of health trackers built to optimize, we propose choosing joy over deprivation and community over navel-gazing. The research agrees.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Holiday 2024
The Menopause Makeover: For When "Aging Gracefully" Gets Old
The Oprah US

The Menopause Makeover: For When "Aging Gracefully" Gets Old

Because literally everything-from eyelids to neck skin to boobs to butt-falls off a cliff. Here, a dozen interventions women in this life stage are embracing.

time-read
6 mins  |
Holiday 2024
Why I Cut Off All My Hair
The Oprah US

Why I Cut Off All My Hair

The author of City of Girls and Big Magic talks about how she made the bold decision to break out the clippers in order to find her own version of beauty.

time-read
8 mins  |
Holiday 2024
The Perfect Gift Book for Everyone on Your List
The Oprah US

The Perfect Gift Book for Everyone on Your List

Sumptuous reads that look as lovely on your coffee table as they do on your bedside table.

time-read
4 mins  |
Volume 3. No 4 - 2023