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Ben Reeves, author of Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt

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 judgment. 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 eventually must end. Then Travis meets Dalia, a midwife, and her boisterous eight-year-old daughter, Layla, who live across the hall. 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.

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Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

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?

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