Olivetti

First published in 2024, Allie Millington’s Olivetti is a mixed-genre middle grade novel with elements of mystery, family drama, and fantasy. The story follows seventh-grader Ernest Brindle, who embarks on a journey of discovery as he searches for his missing mother with the help of a sentient typewriter named Olivetti, who communicates with humans by typing out his thoughts on paper.

The novel, which examines The Healing Power of Memory, The Journey From Grief to Acceptance, and The Importance of Communicating With Family Members, gained acclaim with several “Best Book of the Year” awards, including accolades from Bank Street Center, NPR, Booklist, and The Boston Globe.

This guide refers to the 2024 edition published by Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of illness.

Plot Summary

The novel opens with Olivetti, an older-model Olivetti-brand typewriter that has thoughts and feelings. When humans are absent, he and other typewriters communicate with one another by typing onto an empty carriage roll (typing without paper). Olivetti belongs to a writer named Beatrice Brindle, who lives with her husband, Felix, in San Francisco, California, along with their four children: Ezra, Adalynn, Ernest, and Arlo. Olivetti used to be Beatrice’s main tool for writing, especially her Tapestries, a collection that catalogues her memories and experiences. However, one year ago, Felix bought Beatrice a laptop computer, and ever since then, Olivetti has not gotten much use. Like all typewriters, though, he has stored the writings that Beatrice typed on him. He now waits for her to return and need him again.

Ernest, Beatrice’s son, is a seventh grader who feels disconnected from his family. He has no friends and prefers reading the dictionary instead of works of fiction like the ones that his mother shared when he and his siblings were young. Beatrice wants Ernest to see a therapist because of his worry over unspecified events in their lives that left him struggling. (The narrative later reveals that Ernest’s trauma originated with Beatrice’s three-year fight against cancer; though she was later deemed cancer-free, Ernest’s lasting fear now impacts his relationships.) He prefers to keep his feelings inside and does not want to not rely on his family for support.

One day, without any warning, Beatrice discards her typed draft of Tapestries, pawns Olivetti for $126, and disappears. The pawn shop owner, Mr. Corrie, and his daughter, Quinn, are concerned about Beatrice, who cries as she departs. When Felix and the children realize that Beatrice has left, Ernest worries that his recent emotional distance has caused her to run away.

The next morning, instead of going to school, Ernest posts flyers about his mother’s disappearance. Quinn recognizes Beatrice from the poster and tells Ernest that Beatrice pawned a typewriter at her father’s shop. Felix, Ernest’s siblings, and the police join Ernest at the shop, but they do not find any additional clues.

Later, Ernest sneaks into the unlocked shop and uses Olivetti to leave a typed message to his mother. Olivetti responds, offering to help find Beatrice. Overcoming his shock at the fact that Olivetti can communicate, Ernest takes Olivetti and hides the typewriter on the roof of his apartment building. Ernest now believes that with Olivetti’s help, he can find Beatrice without involving his family.

Quinn tracks Ernest down and insists on helping in his quest. Ernest reveals Olivetti’s special traits to Quinn. At Olivetti’s mention of the public library, Quinn and Ernest dash off to follow this new lead. Ernest is hopeful that he will learn more about Beatrice’s actions, but Mrs. Vivian, the librarian, has not seen Beatrice in a while; she reports that the copy of C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe that Beatrice borrowed is now overdue. She also admits that the library faces closure due to the lack of patrons.

Olivetti types out a stored memory of Beatrice’s letter to Thiago, the apartment maintenance man. Quinn and Ernest find Thiago, who tells them that he has appreciated Beatrice’s kindness and her uplifting notes. He says that Beatrice has been taking the number 12 bus weekly; Ernest finds this mysterious. He and Quinn go to his family’s apartment to research bus schedules.

When Felix unexpectedly comes home early and finds Ernest out of class, he reprimands Ernest for skipping school. Meanwhile, Quinn takes Olivetti and sets him up in a city park, away from the paths, where Olivetti proceeds to type out many more installments of Beatrice’s Tapestries collection, which details the most important memories from her life.

After school, Ernest returns to the pawn shop. Quinn intercepts him and takes him to Olivetti, telling Ernest that a poem in Beatrice’s writings mentioned a man named Brian Branson. Quinn then finds a local doctor named Dr. Branson on the number 12 bus line. Ernest assumes that Dr. Branson is the new therapist whom his mother wanted him to see. However, Ernest soon discovers that Dr. Branson is his mother’s doctor and that her cancer has returned. Losing all hope, Ernest runs away from Quinn, collects Olivetti, and returns Olivetti to the pawn shop.

An artist named Callum Kino buys Olivetti, intending to dismantle him and use the parts for his unique style of art. When Quinn learns about this, she tells Ernest, who rushes to Callum’s studio. He is too late; Olivetti is in pieces. Ernest collects all the parts and runs, but he trips and hits his head. Ernest’s father and siblings, who have been tipped off by Quinn, rescue Ernest and the pieces of Olivetti.

When Ernest wakes up, he finds out that his family has learned about Beatrice’s cancer. He also realizes that he can rely on them for support and that the search for his mother has a better chance of succeeding if they all work together. Felix repairs Olivetti, and Ernest and Quinn prompt Olivetti to reveal his communication skills. Olivetti can still talk, but he has lost Beatrice’s stored writings. Ernest and Quinn reveal the copy of Tapestries that Olivetti typed earlier. With Mrs. Vivian and Thiago’s help, they read through the writings to find mentions of places where Beatrice may have gone. Ernest realizes that her memory of a vacation to Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach in Oregon was especially significant to her, so the family decides to drive there to find her, taking Olivetti along.

At Cannon Beach, Ernest sees Beatrice standing on a ledge on the massive Haystack Rock. Upon seeing her family, Beatrice carefully descends. She apologizes for worrying them and says that she is ready to come home. Everyone reassures each other that they can weather the challenges ahead by staying together. Beatrice begins treatment for her cancer again. She also writes new passages on Olivetti, who uses his communication skills to chat with people in Mrs. Vivian’s library; they in turn make donations that save the library from closure. Ernest and Quinn continue their friendship and take Olivetti along on their adventures.