Tom Hanks to Produce Miniseries Based on Virginia Author's Book

Longtime Roanoke Times reporter Beth Macy is enjoying a lot of success with her first book, nonfiction “Factory Man,” which debuted this summer; the book is about the battle to save a furniture company. It hit the New York Times bestseller list after one week and hasn’t looked back.

Now comes word that Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks will produce a miniseries for HBO based on the book, according to Deadline. Just after the book came out, Hanks tweeted that he would give the book “142 stars. Yeah, it’s THAT good.”

Here’s what Deadline said about the book: “It tells the story of the Bassett family: Throughout much of the 20th century, generations of the family oversaw the rise of their furniture manufacturing company, Bassett Furniture, the biggest employer in their Virginia hometown. But with the onset of the 21st century, global capitalism threatened the future of the company, and the family scion, John Bassett III, was forced to take on China — as well as his own industry — in order to keep his family’s legacy alive. ”

Macy will discuss her book in Arlington next month at the Arlington Public Library; the talk is set for Oct. 7, from 7 to 9 p.m., in the Auditorium, 1015 North Quincy St.