Fun. Fast. Fabulous! Once in a while the blurb for the novel gets it spot on. Typewriter Beach is fun, fast paced, and a perfect summer beach read. I loved this book for all the feels of family love, and chosen family with a very happy, emotional ending. Who doesn’t need a break from horrific news with a happy ending ? This historical novel with two timelines is set in Carmel- by the -Sea and Hollywood, recalling the effects of the McCarthy era Blacklist. 1957: Leo Chazan is a blacklisted screenwriter hiding out in Carmel cottage fixing movie scrips for pennies on the dollar when he meets a young, beautiful Hollywood actress who is also sequestered in a neighboring cottage. 2018: Gemma Chazan, also a screenwriter, is clearing out her grandfathers cottage after his death, discovering his manuscripts and plenty of secrets.

A great story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Typewriter Beach blends historical fiction with contemporary in this story. Isabella, who wants to become an actress is sent from Hollywood to Carmel instead, where she meets Leon.
This story is told with two different time lines so you do have to stay focused.

Thanks to Harper for the opportunity to read ARC

I felt like I have read this story a thousand times. The plot was predictable and the characters were stereotypical. I enjoyed the addition of the historical information about the blacklisted writers and actors but it was so surface level it could have been about any social issue or scandal.

An appropriate book for these times. A book to explain that the past was not perfect nor fair. Set in CA during the 50s with crossovers to 2018
And beyond we see the damage done by HUAC (house unamerican activities committee) the power of the studio system and the havoc it played on people associated with the movie industry and the inability of a gay man to move his life openly. I liked the book and liked the characters but it almost as though there were too many themes leaving some of them not fully formed. It’s definitely worth a read because of the issues raised.

Set during the Red Scare in Hollywood when stars were blacklisted if considered communist and were still under moral clauses, this is a fascinating look a friendship between young screen writer, Leon Chazan and starlet, Isabella Giori.

With similar vibes to Evelyn Hugo, this is a great look at exploring old Hollywood and the red scare at the beginning of the Cold War. It is apparently extensive research was done to really feel authentic, but the facts do not weigh down the story. It did start off a little slow laying the groundwork for both the setting and place, but picked up midway. I appreciated the atmosphere of the Carmel-by-the-Sea location, one of my favorite towns. And while not all that surprising, I loved the twists at the end. Would recommend to those who enjoy Historical Fiction.

This book touches on the McCarthy era and Hollywood blacklisting. The studios have their fixers and their secrets. A young actress is stashed away in a small beach cabin community. Next door a blacklisted writer is “ghost writing”. His all night typing keeps the actress awake. The initial animosity turns into an uneasy friendship as they reveal their secrets and move on with their lives and the story.

Lately I have found a lot of historical fiction is focusing on either the years immediately after World War II or the 1950s during the McCarthy era. I came across Typewriter Beach on Netgalley and was delighted to be approved for a DRC.

Set in Carmel, California during both 1957 and 2018 the story focuses on family, Hollywood, politics and how they all mix together. I’ve read quite a few books with dual timelines and sometimes I’m engaged by both and other times only one seems to capture me. I found with Typewriter Beach that the 1957 timeline pulled me in while the 2018 left me wanting to set down the book at times.

From the blacklisting of Hollywood players and the consequences of that, to the studios’ control over their actresses I found the 1957 story flew by. Particularly with the addition of Alfred Hitchcock and his story making. I appreciated the Me To movement incorporated into the 2018 storyline and the impact it had on one of the main characters. I also enjoyed how the two timelines came together.

Ultimately this was an intriguing read that had parallels to what we are experiencing now. Which says to me that while some things may change many other others remain the same. If you would like to escape to a beautiful setting with a trip through time I would recommend picking this one up. It is out now and has the most beautiful cover.

I was also fortunate to receive a ALC from Libro FM. I toggled between my DRC and ALC and found myself really enjoying the audiobook. The narrator did a lovely job of bringing the characters and their world to life. I would definitely recommend listening to the audiobook if you enjoy them.

An excellent dual time period historical novel! In 1957, young Hollywood actress Isabella is sent by the studio to isolation in a small cottage on the cost in Carmel California. She’s supposed to keep to herself, but she meets Leo Chazan, a screenwriter who has been blacklisted for his refusal to answer questions to HUAC. And in 2018, the story is about Gemma, Leo’s granddaughter and a screenwriter herself, who comes to Carmel to clean out Leo’s cabin after his death, and meets both Isabella and new neighbor Sam.

There’s a lot more to the story than that, but I will leave you to discover it on your own! Let’s just say that there are lots of secrets, a touching portrait of various characters’ grief, a little romance, Hollywood glamour and underbelly, and more! And I loved it!

I am embarrassed to say that this is my first Meg Waite Clayton book, especially because one of her books has been sitting unread on my kindle since 2013 apparently! But even before I finished this book I was adding her entire backlist to my long TBR, so it won’t be my last.

4.25 stars

I’m always on the lookout for Historical Fiction that is not set in WWII* When I heard about 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄𝗪𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 in the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2025 Summer Reading Guide @mmdbookclub described as “𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘵... 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴... 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵...” I was IN!

WHAT TO KNOW:
Dual timeline.1957 & 2018
Carmel-by- the-Sea & Hollywood
A bit of a mystery woven throughout.
Screenwriter & actress w/an unlikely friendship.
Atmospheric & captivating writing.
Started slowly but soon I was sucked in and absolutely intrigued.
What I want out of a summer read.

The novel toggles between the communist witch hunts in Hollywood in the 1950s and 2018. It follows Isabella, an up and coming actress, Leon Chazan, a blacklisted screenwriter and his granddaughter, Gemma, as she’s inherited his Carmel cottage in 2018. I loved the relations and the challenges the characters faced amid McCarthinism and modern hurdles women faced in Hollywood. Great setting. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Well done! History has a way of repeating itself and Meg Waite Clayton does a terrific job of overlaying two remarkably similar periods of our country’s development: the commoditization of actresses in the 1950s and the “MeToo” movement of the 2020s, along side the blacklisting of the McCarthy era and the cancel culture of today. While the goals of each period are polar opposites, the means to the ends are as damaging today as they were in the ‘50s.
Waite’s characters and their human frailties are on full display forcing the reader to ask, “what would I have done?” The book flows naturally from past to present and the dialogue reflects the changes in language. I would recommend to anyone who questions women’s choices today and 60 years past.

this book was trying way too hard to do way too many things. Both plot lines are too convoluted and unfocused and predictable. I really wanted to like this but it fell super flat for me. TW: graphic abortions

This historical fiction novel explores the McCarthy Era in Hollywood when everyone in the industry was expected to name communists and when actresses who were under contract at a studio were “owned” by them during the length of their contract. Told in two timelines, we meet Gemma in 2018 who comes to Carmel after her grandfather has passed away. Then we meet Leon in 1957, a screenwriter in Hollywood and learn his story.
The story was a slow burn, taking quite awhile to uncover the complicated situation they are in. I found the history of that time and place very interesting and sobering, especially for a woman’s reality.
I recommend this to historical fiction readers who appreciate a look into a lesser known time in history. Thank you #Harper for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

TYPEWRITER BEACH is a juicy, page-turner of a summer read; a dual time line tale of the McCarthy era and the me too movement, with the members of a loosely defined family. There are secrets galore in this tale that spans its characters lives from WWII to current time. Everyone seems to have a name other than their birth name and their origins are intentionally murky. These characters jump off the page and quickly inhabit readers’ stray thoughts spent not devouring the book. While the answers are not a compete surprise, the plot provides entertainment on its way to the solutions. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

4.5 Old Hollywood Stars

A young Hollywood star-to-be (think Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly) makes friends with a reclusive screenwriter in 1957's Carmel while both are hiding out.

Isabella Giori is on contract with a movie studio, hoping to be made a star by Hitchcock, but she’s sent to Carmel for a hiatus.

Screenwriter Leon Chazan has been blacklisted with the craze taking the country. He takes work where he can get it, but he refuses to name others, so he’s shut out of big deals. He assumes Iz is also there to evade testifying.

The other storyline moves forward in time to 2018, featuring Leon’s granddaughter, Gemma. She’s also a screenwriter, but she’s facing writer’s block with the loss of her grandfather. His death has unearthed a whole host of secrets, including a mysterious script in his safe. Gemma is also facing the male-dominated world of Hollywood, which has only recently been exposed, and is forcing behavior changes. Can Isabella help explain what Gemma has found?

It takes a while for all this to come together, but I enjoyed the historical atmosphere created with these cottages in Carmel and the nostalgia for Hollywood! It is tragic, though, that so many talented people were blacklisted out of Hollywood, some for no reason at all.

This one was perfect timing for me, having recently visited Carmel and watched a movie featuring Marilyn Monroe, as well as another one featuring Alfred Hitchcock.

Typewriter Beach is set in California during the McCarthy era in the late 1950's.
There are two timelines.
Isabella is a young Hollywood actress who is exiled to Carmel, California temporarily. Her studio has a seven year contract and they want to maintain it.
Léon Chazon is a blacklisted writer also living in Carmel.
Gemma is Léon's granddaughter. She returns to Carmel to get her grandfather's affairs in order after his passing. She is also a struggling writer in Hollywood.
Sam is Léon's young neighbor and friend. He is also a video game developer working on a new game.
Typewriter Beach ties the two timelines together with great intricacy and intrigue.
Isabella (Iz) and Léon become great friends and help eachother navigate the treacherous Hollywood culture.
Gemma and Sam become great friends and help eachother grieve the loss of Léon.
Iz has mysterious connections to Gemma, Léon, and Sam.
She also becomes a trailblazer of sorts for women in Hollywood.
Typewriter Beach is a beautiful story about loyalty, friendship, family, and courage. There is also lots of old Hollywood and some famous names mixed into the story.

(4.25 stars)
Typewriter Beach transports the reader to 1950s California and the Hollywood blacklist/HUAC red scare delirium. In addition, as with so many historical fiction books, we have a modern-day narrative, this time in 2018. While I found myself more fascinated with the 1957-58 story, I enjoyed the connections created with the 2018 story.

First line: “Her hair - that was the first thing they changed, even before they changed her name, before her first screen test…”

1957: Isabella Giori, a young actress trying to succeed in Hollywood, under contract to a film studio (as was typical then), is sent to a cottage in Carmel for some mysterious reason. We find out why at about the 1/3 point. There she meets Leon/Leo Chazan, a blacklisted screenwriter also in Carmel, living next door. He assumes she’s there to privately testify (to name names) for the HUAC (the House Un-American Activities Committee). They strike up a friendship, which lasts far longer than either one expected it to. We gradually get Leo’s backstory, starting at about the halfway mark.

2018: Chazan has died. His granddaughter, Gemma, comes up to Carmel to clear out his cottage. She’s a screenwriter too, and grew up coming up there with her mother, who has also died recently. Gemma and Leo had a wonderful relationship and she’s brokenhearted over his death, even though she realizes he was 94. Gemma has had little success as a writer thus far, and has experienced the dark side of being a woman in Hollywood, that gradually became known through the MeToo movement. Once in Carmel, she meets Isabel/Iz and Sam, a young man who lives nearby and has created a popular video game.

The chapters bounce back and forth but they are clearly labeled so there is no confusion whatsoever for the reader.

My heart broke for Leo and all the other writers who were blacklisted for any number of reasons and basically lost their livelihood. This story takes place when McCarthyism was still going on but his influence was waning (finally!). In fact, the story mentions his death that year - but that didn’t stop HUAC’s work, unfortunately.

It’s a bit of a slow burn, but stay with it and it pays off. So many secrets… and a beautiful ending. Don’t miss this book.

Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

NOTE: Quote is from an advance copy and may not be exactly the same in the finished book.

This book jumps between 2018 and 1950s Hollywood revolving around an actress and a screenplay writer. The past is filled with information about the blacklisting in Hollywood while the present is filled with grief over a death.

3.5 stars.
This was a book I wanted to love, but struggled with a bit. I know Meg put a lot of work into this. I’ve been following along with her on Facebook and Instagram, as she shared her progress and requested suggestions on pieces of it (you were right, Meg, Typewriter Beach was a perfect title for it!)
There were many layers to the story, perhaps a little too many for me. During a time when communism in the U.S. (the “red scare”), Hollywood in particular in this novel, was being brought down, and famous people were scrutinized closely. Were they communists? Writers, actors , actresses, and others were being blacklisted during this time. This was one layer of the story. Then we delve into the background of a blacklisted writer, “Leon”, as he struggles with this and a young actress, Isabella, aka Iz, in the beginnings of her career who is hiding a different secret. There is a second timeline taking place years later, (2018) focusing in Leon’s granddaughter, Gemma, and a young man living in the area, Sam. Within this timeline we discover more about Leon’s background, as well as the backstory of Gemma and Sam. It is all a lot to keep track of, which is why I struggled.
Otherwise, I was intrigued by all that was going on in Hollywood during that time and the lies, secrets, and betrayals involved. Indeed, some things kept me guessing as secrets were slowly revealed. I was also interested in the background of one of the characters (without spoilers here!) during WWII in Europe. I have to say, the enjoyed the last 30% of the book best, as the bulk of the back stories were out of the way by then and I could more easily concentrate. There were parts that grabbed really my attention, especially the heartfelt ending.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

“Typewriter Beach” by Meg Waite Clayton is a well researched historical fiction that takes place on Carmel beach in 1957 during the darkest times of the McCarthy era. Written in dual timelines the story revolves around a young starlet on the verge of becoming the next Grace Kelly. She meets a screenwriter on the beach who is about to sell her dead grandfather’s house when she finds a safe full of secrets. As the story progresses, the history of old Hollywood and Senator McCarthy’s surveillance of the movie industry is eye opening. Secrets are revealed, relationships are developed and the difficulties of being a female actress during that time period are revealed. If you are a fan of old Hollywood and stories about legacy, this book is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.