Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt: A Novel

Reeves, Ben

ISBN 10: 1668216361 / ISBN 13: 9781668216361

Published by Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, 2026

About this Item

For fans of Fredrik Backman and Virginia Evans, an astonishing, deeply moving novel about finding beauty in the brevity of life, as narrated by the one who knows it best: Death.
Travis is Death in the modern world. He lives with his cat in a small, gray town. His job is to offer people comfort in their final hours of life, which he does without complaint or judgement. He's stoic, gentle, and a little naive, despite who he is, but he never tries to change anyone's fate. He is responsible for maintaining the balance of nature, and every life must eventually end.
Then Travis meets Dalia, a midwife, and her boisterous eight-year-old daughter Layla, who live across the hall, and despite his best attempts to keep his distance, he finds himself wholeheartedly embraced by other people for the first time. So it is with this seemingly unremarkable family that Travis begins to understand what it means to be truly alive--and what might be irrevocably lost in death.
Written with radiant warmth, wisdom, and compassion, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is a timeless and ultimately uplifting story about appreciating life, accepting its end, and finding our place in the universe--especially when it feels most impossible--that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved and lost or worried about time's passing.

Seller Inventory # 9781668216361

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt: A Novel
• Publisher: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1668216361
• ISBN 13: 9781668216361
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New
• Dimensions: 13.97W x 21.27H x 2.54D centimeters 13.97 centimeters width by 21.27 centimeters height by 2.54 centimeters depth
• Weight: 363 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Summer by: People ("A gorgeous reminder of what really matters. Prepare to be astounded."), BuzzFeed, Goodreads, and more... • "One of the best, most moving books I have read in years."—NPR

For fans of Fredrik Backman and Virginia Evans, an astonishing, deeply moving novel about finding beauty in the brevity of life, as narrated by the one who knows it best: Death.

Travis is Death in the modern world. He lives with his cat in a small, gray town. His job is to offer people comfort in their final hours of life, which he does without complaint or judgement. He’s stoic, gentle, and a little naive, despite who he is, but he never tries to change anyone’s fate. He is responsible for maintaining the balance of nature, and every life must eventually end.

Then Travis meets Dalia, a midwife, and her boisterous eight-year-old daughter Layla, who live across the hall, and despite his best attempts to keep his distance, he finds himself wholeheartedly embraced by other people for the first time. So it is with this seemingly unremarkable family that Travis begins to understand what it means to be truly alive—and what might be irrevocably lost in death.

Written with radiant warmth, wisdom, and compassion, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is a timeless and ultimately uplifting story about appreciating life, accepting its end, and finding our place in the universe—especially when it feels most impossible—that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved and lost or worried about time’s passing.

About the Author

Ben Reeves lives in Peterborough, UK, with his wife and two children. An early draft of Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt won the international 2024 Bath Novel Award. When he’s not writing, he paints, makes music, and works as a web designer for a book printing company.