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\nAndrew Greer\u2019s 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 \u2014 but his duties are nowhere near ordinaryPEOPLE can exclusively reveal the book\u2019s coverThe novel, available for preorder now, will hit shelves on June 9, 2026<\/p>\n
Andrew Sean Greer is back with a “bawdy Mediterranean ballad.”\n<\/p>\n
Set in the Italian countryside, Greer\u2019s upcoming novel Villa Coco<\/a> chronicles a young man who takes a job as the assistant to a wealthy Baroness named Liabetta \u2014 better known as Coco to her friends.\n<\/p>\n While he begins cataloguing the wealthy widow\u2019s eclectic collection of art, his duties quickly shift to encompass various unexpected tasks \u2014 including attending a funeral with the goal of making off with the urn and locating the lost love of Coco\u2019s life before it\u2019s too late.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n 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<\/a> and its companion Less is Lost<\/a>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Andrew Sean Greer’s “Villa Coco”.<\/p>\n Penguin Random House<\/p>\n As for what readers can expect from Villa Coco<\/a>? \u201cChickens! A baronessa, an artist, a lover and a diamond,\u201d he promises PEOPLE. \u201cAnd also: look carefully at the cover by Ilya Milstein. The climax of the novel is hinted at by something in the room\u2026\u201d\n<\/p>\n The friendship that is formed between the narrator, who is described as a na\u00efve twenty-something from the American suburbs, and the \u201cnonagenarian adventuress\u201d explores the complexities of age, wisdom, worldliness and the families we choose over the course of a lifetime.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n With this new \u201code to life itself,\u201d Greer has been most enthused about \u201chaving 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.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\n<\/p>\n While speaking about the inspiration for the book in a statement to PEOPLE, the author \u2014 who currently resides in Venice \u2014 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.\n<\/p>\n Andrew Sean Greer’s “Villa Coco”.<\/p>\n Kaliel Roberts<\/p>\n “I hear some new baffling phrase every day. \u2018I know my chickens!\u2019 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.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Take PEOPLE with you!\u00a0Subscribe to PEOPLE magazine<\/a>\u00a0to get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more \u2014 right to your mailbox.\n<\/p>\n