Typewriter Beach

* An instant USA Today Bestseller 

Set in 1957 and 2018 Carmel-by-the-Sea and Hollywood, this unforgettable story of a blacklisted screenwriter and a young actress poised to be the new Grace Kelly is a love letter to writing, to resilience, and to the belief that some stories are worth waiting decades to tell. 

“An irresistible story of 1950s Hollywood … Readers will be riveted.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Clayton delivers another top-tier dual-timeline historical. Thought-provoking and timely, it’s sure to be a big summer hit.” –Library Journal (starred review)

“A fascinating family mystery that is begging to be unraveled … emotional, atmospheric writing … and a beautiful, deep love story.” – #1 New York Times bestseller Ana Huang / TODAY Show

* TODAY Show Best Historical Fiction for August and 5 Best Reads for August *
* Washington Post 5 Historical Novels to Read This Summer *
* Top 10 Library Read (thank you, Librarians!) *
* Los Angeles Times 10 Reads for a Beach Day *
* Publishers Weekly Summer Read *
* Amazon Editors’ Choice *
* Woman’s World 10 Gripping New Historical Fiction Mystery Books to Get Lost In *
* USA Today 15 New Releases to Read Now *
* Zibby Books That’ll Make You Swoon *
* AARP Summer Read *
* Zibby Most Anticipated Book of 2025 *
* Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Read *
* Alabama Booksmith Signed First Editions Selection *
* Book Report Network Readers’ Top 6 Pick *
* A Hadassah Magazine Summer Read *
* Woman’s World Book Club Pick *
* Alta Journal Books to Read in July *
* Book Browse Best of July *
* A University of Michigan LSA Summer Read*

Read about Typewriter Beach in USA Today
An Interview with Meg on Lit Hub

“Intrigue to spare … Fans of Hollywood’s golden age will fall in love.” – Publishers Weekly, on its Summer Reads list

“Under the shimmer of 1950s movie magic and the shadows of the McCarthy era, this romantic, moody mystery spotlights life in front of the camera.” – Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX, on the Library Reads Top 10 list

1957. Isabella Giori is ten months into a standard seven-year studio contract when she auditions with Hitchcock. Just weeks later, she is sequestered by the studio’s “fixer” in a tiny Carmel cottage, waiting and dreading.

Meanwhile, next door, Léon Chazan is annoyed as hell when Iz interrupts his work on yet another screenplay he won’t be able to sell, because he’s been blacklisted. Soon, they’re together in his roadster, speeding down the fog-shrouded Big Sur coast.

2018. Twenty-six-year-old screenwriter Gemma Chazan, in Carmel to sell her grandfather’s cottage, finds a hidden safe full of secrets—raising questions about who the screenwriter known simply as Chazan really was, and whether she can live up to his name.

In graceful prose and with an intimate understanding of human nature, Meg Waite Clayton captures the joys and frustrations of being a writer, being a woman, being a star, and being in love. Typewriter Beach is the story of two women separated by generations—a tale of ideas and ideals, passion and persistence, creativity, politics, and family.

“Under the shimmer of 1950s movie magic and the shadows of the McCarthy era, this romantic, moody mystery spotlights life in front of the camera.” — Shelf Awareness

“Like the carriage of a well-oiled Olivetti, this novel moves between Carmel and Hollywood, in two different centuries, with ease.” – Bethanne Patrick, The Los Angeles Times

“This riveting historical brings McCarthy-era Hollywood to life… I loved this story for its propulsive plot and riveting period details, most especially the numerous lovely portrayals of people finding love and family even when they’d given up hope of it happening for them in an unkind world.” – Modern Mrs Darcy

“Readers are taken to 1950s California in this riveting saga… As secrets emerge, lives intersect in astonishing ways.” – Melissa D’Agnese, Woman’s World

“Questions of love, femininity, work, power, family, and future abound in this compelling tale of old Hollywood and new.” – Alta Journal

“An unhurried tale about the flaws of the film industry and the healing power of human connection.” – Kirkus

“Meg Waite Clayton pulls the reader into the story with nuanced, believable characters and prose that tells ‘just enough’ to keep reading until the end . . . . Typewriter Beach is not just a captivating story about Hollywood in the 50’s and 60’s or another examination of what family is about, it is also a portrait of the strength and importance of friendship and an intense look at the effect that the sowing of distrust can have on society.” — The Gloss Book Club

“5 Challah rating—Typewriter Beach is a wonderfully woven story with unexpected twists and connections. Written from alternating perspectives, it redefines family.” — Jewish Voice and Opinion

“An inventive tale of family love across generations.” – Sandee Brawarsky, Hadassah Magazine

“A fascinating look at Hollywood during the havoc wreaked on the industry in midcentury by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Though the main characters come from wealth and the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, their struggles and longing for a sense of family keep them relatable and loveable…. The deeply immersive setting and timely look at political and social issues that haven’t yet been left behind will keep readers engaged.” – Sarah Hendess, Historical Novel Reviews

“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.” – Kate Ayers, Bookreporter

“A captivating page-turner, this time set in Old Hollywood and Carmel-by-the-Sea … new readers won’t find a better place to start with Clayton’s milieu than this story about two women separated by generations—a story about passion and persistence, creativity, politics and family.” – Linda Lenhoff, Bay City News 

“This fast-paced nov­el details the dele­te­ri­ous, life-chang­ing effects of Sen­a­tor Joe McCarthy’s anti-com­mu­nist cam­paign on the writ­ers, actors, and direc­tors of Hollywood… The author describes set­tings and moods in vivid detail, let­ting read­ers imag­ine being sur­round­ed by the nat­ur­al beau­ty of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Type­writer Beach is a fas­ci­nat­ing look into a recent piece of Amer­i­can his­to­ry that is so rel­e­vant in today’s polit­i­cal and social climate.” – Miri­am Brad­man Abra­hams, Jewish Book Council

“Alfred Hitchcock appears on the first page of Meg Waite Clayton’s latest novel, setting an appropriately eerie and atmospheric tone. Typewriter Beach revels in the morally gray areas of movies — and of life … an entertaining and brave work of fiction.” – Erica Wright, Chapter 16, a publication of Humanities Tennessee

“An involving, intricate narrative about how we grow up (or don’t), how we grow old – or don’t, and the choices we make, or avoid… It’s a joy to read, to watch as the characters cross paths and complicate one another’s narratives… There are in fact wonderfully nice people in this world, and when you’re in Typewriter Beach their lives become part of your life.” – Rick Kleffel, KSQD