Twenty-two-year-old Isabella Giori has high hopes of becoming a big Hollywood star, like many pretty young ladies. The Golden Age has produced such talents as Marilyn Monroe, Ingrid Bergman, Bette Davis and Greta Garbo, to name a few, and she wants to achieve that sort of fame.

It’s only a few weeks until the Academy Awards. Iz has a stunning dress and a new hair color, and she is ready for the studio that has her contract to unveil her at this year’s ceremony. To her surprise, they have her whisked away to a cottage in Carmel-by-the-Sea, supposedly to keep her under wraps. But Oscar night comes and goes, and she remains in Carmel.

"TYPEWRITER BEACH is a gorgeous work of fiction that reads like a memoir.... This multilayered novel satisfies on many levels and is not to be missed."

Her first morning in the cottage, Iz awakens early to the sound of a typewriter next door. Already cranky because of her isolation, she heads over to complain about the offending noise. She doesn’t know it yet, but the man she’s about to meet will utterly change her life. That day, though, Léon “Leo” Chazan is unimpressed by Iz. She’s interrupting his writing, which is his lifeblood. He has sequestered himself in Carmel to produce screenplays that will never sell --- at least under his name --- because he has been blacklisted.

America is in the middle of the McCarthy era, and the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) is in full swing. It has friends turning on friends, brothers turning on brothers, and everyone is running scared. Leo, though, refused to name names. You see, his own name isn’t really his own name. Still, his real life is every bit as heartbreaking as the history of the boy whose name he took. As a result, he can’t afford to rock the boat.

And now here’s this plucky young woman disrupting whatever peace he had created for himself. Yet, despite the intrusion, Leo is intrigued by Iz and wants to help her. He sees something special in her that she herself can’t see. Maybe he even loves her in a way that surprises him. What comes of their friendship is more than merely shared experiences. A lot more.

That was 1957. Decades pass, and Leo dies in 2018. His granddaughter, Gemma, arrives in Carmel to sort out his things and ultimately sell his cottage. Sometime in the interim, Iz bought the neighboring cottage. She dearly cherished her friendship with Leo and desperately mourns his passing. There are secrets he kept that cannot be told, but she finally begins to understand parts of him and parts of herself after all these years. At least she can share some of that with Gemma.

As Iz makes some fresh discoveries, Gemma finds a budding romance with the guy next door, another artsy sort. This is Carmel, after all, where creativity runs rampant. The people wrapping themselves around each other intertwine in beautiful, colorful, inspired ways. However, the purpose of Gemma’s trip to Carmel is to say goodbye. She has come because of a loss. Fortunately, she will not leave with less than what she had before.

TYPEWRITER BEACH is a gorgeous work of fiction that reads like a memoir. As Meg Waite Clayton invents Iz’s story, she reveals some of the dirty laundry of Hollywood’s early days and gives readers a glimpse at its stars’ foibles, faults and quirks. She allows us to feel the dread of the HUAC, a terrifying time in history, using Leo as an example. His backstory will tug at heartstrings as much as Iz’s main story. This multilayered novel satisfies on many levels and is not to be missed.