Beautiful Ruins

Why mince words? Beautiful Ruins is an absolute masterpiece.” — Richard Russo

The acclaimed, award-winning author of the national bestseller The Financial Lives of the Poets returns with his funniest, most romantic, and most purely enjoyable novel yet: the story of an almost-love affair that begins on the Italian coast in 1962 . . . and is rekindled in Hollywood fifty years later.

The story begins in 1962. On a rocky patch of the sun-drenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, deep in daydreams, looks out over the waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat. She is an American starlet, he soon learns, and she is dying.

About the Author

Jess Walter is the author of ten books, most recently the story collect The Angel of Rome (2022) and the national bestselling novel The Cold Millions (2020). His novel Beautiful Ruins (2012) was a #1 New York Times bestseller. He was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award for The Zero and winner of the 2005 Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel for Citizen Vince. His short fiction has appeared three times in Best American Short Stories. He lives in his hometown of Spokane, Washington.

So Far Gone

A warm, funny, loving novel. . . . It’s an American original.”—Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

“Searing and sublime … Walter is a slyly adept social critic, and has clearly invested his protagonist with all of the outrage and heartbreak he himself feels about the dark course our world has taken … What gets us all through … are novels like this one.” Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins—and in the propulsive spirit of Charles Portis’ True Grit—comes a hilarious, empathetic, and brilliantly provocative adventure through life in modern America, about a reclusive journalist forced back into the world to rescue his kidnapped grandchildren.

Rhys Kinnick has gone off the grid. At Thanksgiving a few years back, a fed-up Rhys punched his conspiracy-theorist son-in-law in the mouth, chucked his smartphone out a car window and fled for a cabin in the woods, with no one around except a pack of hungry raccoons.

Insightful Author Interviews

Authors Spotlighted in Interviews

Discover in-depth conversations with Pacific Northwest books authors, uncovering the stories behind their books and their creative journeys.

Rebecca Rook

Discover captivating young adult fiction where magic, malice, and mystery intertwine in thrilling tales.

Dede Montgomery

Memoir and fiction author weaving heartfelt, captivating, and thought-provoking stories that resonate.

Ruby McConnell

Geologist and science writer crafting compelling, insightful, and engaging tales of Earth’s wonders.

Katie Wall - Book Coach

Professional book coach and editor, dedicated to helping authors craft polished work with expert guidance.

Shawna Reppert

Fantasy and steampunk author crafting imaginative, adventurous, and enchanting tales.

Discover Works from Our Interviews

Books by Featured Authors

Explore captivating Pacific Northwest books by featured authors through our insightful interviews and uncover the stories behind their creations.