Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt

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Travis is Death. He lives in a small town in England, a working-class area. He knows the lives of everyone around him, just as he knows their deaths. He visits people soon before their deaths and offers company, some comfort.

He doesn’t get to change anyone’s fate. It’s not his job, not his place. That’s not how things work. And he largely is at peace with that; he faces it every day and just knows the role he plays.

Then he meets Dalia, a single mom of two girls: Layla, who’s 8, and Neda, a baby. They live across the hall from his undecorated, simple apartment. Somehow, he gets drawn into their lives, befriending them, doing things with them. He has moments where he feels like a real human living like others, with a family.

But even if he were to wish to stay a part of their lives, he simply can’t. Anyway, he’s going to play a role that will make that impossible.

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is a story about appreciating life, in all its small, day-to-day moments. Time flies. Life is different for all of us, and it varies widely in how long each of us gets to live, but it’s precious, and it’s ours.

A poignant story that very likely will find you with moist eyes at least once or twice.

Rated: High. Profanity includes 25 uses of strong language, around 30 instances of moderate profanity, about 10 uses of mild language, and around 25 instances of the name of Deity in vain. There are also 35 or so uses of British profanity, such as bl-, bol-, etc. There are some brief vulgar references. Sexual content includes kissing and removal of clothes but nothing further on the page. There are lots of references to a variety of deaths, mostly without details; several mentions of suicide and attempts. Child loss is part of the story.

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*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.