Beautiful Ruins / Jess Walter / 337 pages

Pasquale Tursi inherits a small hotel in a remote Italian coastline village of Porto Vergogna.  Although the village is accessible only by boat, Pasquale has the dream to turn the village into a resort that attracts Americans.  An American actress, Dee Moray does show up in the village and so the story begins.  With a colorful cast of characters, Beautiful Ruins tells the story of how what happens in 1962 turns out in 2012.  Believe it or not, the debauched Richard Burton (once called Beautiful Ruins) plays an important role in the book.  The author weaves together the innocence of a young Italian, the naivete of a young actress, the machinations of a Hollywood studio troubleshooter, and the hopes and dreams of a young filmmaker into a complex web of story and discovery of what is important and the motives of people.  Not exactly my cup of tea but well-written for those who like character-driven novels.