What do you get when you combine old Hollywood glamour with a remote Italian village, a contemporary struggling screenwriter, and a modern movie mogul
? You get Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, our book pick of the week.

In this stunning novel, Walters tells the backstory of the filming of Cleopatra (part reported, part fictional) through the life of Dee Moray, an actress who comes to a beautiful Italian village because she thinks she’s dying. But the plot quickly thickens, and as we travel from 60s Italy to present-day Hollywood to Britain, Seattle, and Idaho, this book becomes a whirlwind of a story. It’s no surprise the New York Times calls a “high-wire feat of bravura storytelling.”  Even a blotto Richard Burton makes an appearance!

At heart, it’s a profound story about fame and celebrity, and it says so much about how we live, both disconnected and hungry for intimacy, in this day and age. Walter’s characters are surprisingly real and relatable, and the romantic plotlines jump off the page from the first chapter. It’s a must-read!