EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT by Ben Reeves is a different type of story, one that walks you through the last moments of life for those whose time has come to an end on earth. It is engrossing, thoughtful, and inspiring, as the characters face grief, mortality, and the very tumbling ride of challenges that a lifetime carries us through.
Travis is a tall, nondescript man, and he is the one that carries death to your doorstep. Almost everyone knows who he is when he arrives. He will sit with you, bring you pictures of your past, and stay with you until the end, not interfering or judging your life or how you choose to use your final moments on earth. Travis has never thought one way or the other about these interactions, until the day he meets Dalia and her two daughters, Layla and Neda. Layla takes a liking to Travis, and Travis soon finds himself spending time with the young family. But when tragedy strikes, Travis starts to feel things he never felt before. This small family has opened a pathway into his heart, and he may have to break the rules and see death in a different light.
EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT will take you on a roller coaster of emotions as you witness lives cut short, lives lived too long, and the aftereffects for those who are left behind. The novel is told in short sections of individual deaths that span all walks of life and age levels. The common story that is woven throughout is Travis and Dalia, along with Layla and Neda. The grief is palpable, the actions understandable, and the ending of Dalia and Travis’s story showcases enduring love and resilience. The story is told with deft precision and descriptions, bringing the characters to life, and making readers reconsider their life choices and relationships. The ending asks if you were at the brink of death, but your last gift was to have twenty minutes to do anything, what would you do? Would you relive a past event? Play with your grandchildren? Travel to a special place? EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT is beautifully crafted and reminds us that although life can bring us great sadness, it can also bring us great joy, and we are all in this life together.
For fans of Fredrik Backman and Virginia Evans, an unforgettable and exquisitely moving novel about finding beauty, hope, and meaning in the brevity of life, as narrated by the one who knows it best: Death.
Travis is Death in the modern world. He wears jeans and a T-shirt and lives in a small, grey town. His job is to offer people comfort in their final hours of life. He’s stoic, gentle, and a little naive, despite everything he knows. He’s young and handsome, despite who he is. Each death he witnesses is meaningful to him; he listens, never judges, and most importantly, never tries to change anyone’s fate. He knows that every life must eventually end to maintain the balance of the universe and he respects the cycle.
Then he meets Dalia, a midwife, and her boisterous eight-year-old daughter Layla, who live across the hall. As Dalia and Layla come to embrace Travis, it becomes more difficult to maintain the detachment that’s allowed him to function for so long. Their time together teaches him what’s truly important in life—and what might be irrevocably lost in death.
Written with radiant warmth, wisdom, and compassion, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is a timeless 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 at time’s passing.
© 2003-2026