NEED TO KNOW
Andrew Greer’s new book, Villa Coco, follows a young man from the American suburbs who moves to Italy and becomes assistant to a wealthy widow named Coco — but his duties are nowhere near ordinaryPEOPLE can exclusively reveal the book’s coverThe novel, available for preorder now, will hit shelves on June 9, 2026
Andrew Sean Greer is back with a “bawdy Mediterranean ballad.”
Set in the Italian countryside, Greer’s upcoming novel Villa Coco chronicles a young man who takes a job as the assistant to a wealthy Baroness named Liabetta — better known as Coco to her friends.
While he begins cataloguing the wealthy widow’s eclectic collection of art, his duties quickly shift to encompass various unexpected tasks — including attending a funeral with the goal of making off with the urn and locating the lost love of Coco’s life before it’s too late.
Ahead of its release in June 2026, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover for the novel written by the bestselling author, who has also penned Pulitzer Prize winner Less and its companion Less is Lost.
Andrew Sean Greer’s “Villa Coco”.
Penguin Random House
As for what readers can expect from Villa Coco? “Chickens! A baronessa, an artist, a lover and a diamond,” he promises PEOPLE. “And also: look carefully at the cover by Ilya Milstein. The climax of the novel is hinted at by something in the room…”
The friendship that is formed between the narrator, who is described as a naïve twenty-something from the American suburbs, and the “nonagenarian adventuress” explores the complexities of age, wisdom, worldliness and the families we choose over the course of a lifetime.
With this new “ode to life itself,” Greer has been most enthused about “having readers tell me they never wanted to leave the world of the book. That’s a sensation from some of my favorite books from childhood and adulthood: wanting to hold the book to your chest after you’ve finished. It’s a shock to think I’ve gotten anywhere close to that.”
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While speaking about the inspiration for the book in a statement to PEOPLE, the author — who currently resides in Venice — reflects on his experience living in Italy for nearly a decade. “I came to Italy for work in 2016 and never really left,” he says.
Andrew Sean Greer’s “Villa Coco”.
Kaliel Roberts
“I hear some new baffling phrase every day. ‘I know my chickens!’ particularly used to puzzle me, especially since at work we had chickens,” he continues. “But it was said with such verve! Apparently it’s not about chickens. It means you know what kind of rascals you’re dealing with.”
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Villa Coco will hit shelves on June 9, 2026, and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.