Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Rare is it that a book gives so much -- Historical reference, humor, relatable characters with believable dilemnas, a deep consistent theme. Walter jumps from war-torn Italy to celebrity-obsessed Hollywood without losing relevance, and he does so in a way that informs. How often we hear post-WWII stories in terms of concentration camps and bombed-out cities; not to subtract from that, but precious little literature deals with post-war Italy and its citizens, as weary of Germans as they were of the rescuer-Americans.

This is a book about stories, those we tell ourselves, those we tell others. And the denouement at the end gives credence to the fact that our stories are, in fact, life.



View all my reviews