New Canaan author Jamie Beck, writing under the pen name Harper Ross, is back with a spellbinding new novel, The Unwritten Rules of Magic. Blending magical realism with real-life emotion, the story explores what happens when the desire to control life collides with the unpredictability of love and family.
The book follows Emerson, a woman juggling an estranged daughter, an alcoholic mother and a decade-long romantic drought. When her father dies, she acquires his “lucky charm,” an old typewriter that she soon discovers can make her wishes come true, though the magic comes at a price.
“At first it’s a fun lark,” she says. “But then you realize that by trying to control someone else’s situation, you’re changing the dynamic—and it has consequences.”
The story draws heavily from Beck’s own life. Like Emerson, she’s wrestled with the urge to manage outcomes, especially when it comes to her children. “I was exploring where the line is between caring and overstepping,” she says, reflecting on the book’s deeper theme—the need for control. “Is it for our own anxiety, and is that the right reason to try to control anything?” That question drives Emerson’s journey and gives the story its emotional resonance.”
Beck’s leap into magical realism was inspired by books such as Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Measure, which showed the writer how a touch of the unreal can illuminate life’s bigger questions. “It just heightens all those questions,” she notes, “from control and desire to anxiety and love.”
Beck chose her pen name to mark a fresh start. After years of writing romance as Jamie Beck, she wanted a clean slate for this new genre. Harper Ross comes from a previous character of hers and carries a literary resonance reminiscent of Harper Lee.
At its heart, The Unwritten Rules of Magic is about surrendering to life’s twists. Beck reflects, “You don’t have to know how it turns out—you just have to know you’re going to be ok.” With humor, heart, and a touch of magic, it’s a story that reminds readers that some of life’s most meaningful moments happen when you let go of control.
The Unwritten Rules of Magic is available at Elm Street Books in New Canaan and Barrett Books in Darien, as well as other bookstores and online retailers.
The book marks a new genre for Jamie Beck , writing under the pen name Harper Ross