July 2026

Ben Reeves’ debut novel, EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT, revolves around a subject that we typically shy away from: death.

Yes, if you want a topic that no one wants to think about, death is high on the list. But here we have a book so packed with thoughts about life (as well as death), and it is written so beautifully, that you will not want to miss it. I see why it is July’s #1 Indie Next pick.

Throughout the novel, death moves into various people's lives at the final moments in a stealthy way but brings a peace with it. The dying have a moment to assess who they are and what they have done --- and, in at least one case, mourn what will be missed. These little vignettes stand alone but will touch you in various ways. What do they all have in common? What is different about them?

But then the story quickly shifts. Travis, the personification of death, moves into an apartment next to Dalia, a young mother with two little girls. With the time that he spends with them, he comes to understand life. Layla, the older daughter, seeks him out to join their family for dinners. After being in a place where life is so celebrated, he comes to have conflicted ideas about his job. There comes a moment, as it always does with him, that he will have to play his usual role, not that of just the next-door neighbor. From this, he sees the ramifications instead of just moving on.

Also woven in the pages is an 89-year-old woman who wants to die. She has lived her life but is told by Travis again and again that it is not her time. But then that moment comes. 

The writing is beautiful right up until the closing chapters when a group of mayflies comes to life and enjoys their lives above the water for a very short time --- typically 24 hours. What we see here is that even the briefest moments of life have their pleasure. Note that this book originally won the Bath Novel Award in 2024 with the title DANCE OF THE MAYFLIES. I like the new title better, though I need to look it up every time I talk about it. I call it the Ben Reeves book. If you talk to a bookseller or librarian, I am betting they will know the book just by saying that. 
 
One more thing: I encourage all of you to read the last chapter, “A Twenty-Minute Gift,” and think about it as you go through your day.