Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett‘s The Dutch House explores the bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go. It’s a story of a paradise lost–one that digs deeply into questions of inheritance, love and forgiveness, of how we want to see ourselves and of who we really are.

Ann is the author of seven novels, The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician’s Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, State of Wonder, and Commonwealth. She was the editor of Best American Short Stories, 2006, and has written three books of nonfiction–Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with the writer Lucy Grealy, What Now? an expansion of her graduation address at Sarah Lawrence College, and This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a collection of essays examining the theme of commitment. In 2019, she published her first children’s book, Lambslide, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser.

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Patchett has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including England’s Orange Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Book Sense Book of the Year, a Guggenheim Fellowship, The Chicago Tribune’s Heartland Prize, The Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the American Bookseller’s Association’s Most Engaging Author Award, and the Women’s National Book Association’s Award. Her books have been both New York Times Notable Books and New York Times bestsellers. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages.

In November, 2011, she opened Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, with her business partner Karen Hayes.  She has since become a spokesperson for independent booksellers, championing books and bookstores on NPR, The Colbert Report (including the series finale), Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, The Martha Stewart Show, and The CBS Early Show, among many others. Along with James Patterson, she was the honorary chair of World Book Night. In 2012 she was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Ann lives in Nashville with her husband, Karl VanDevender, and their dog, Sparky. Click here to subscribe to her blog, Notes from Ann, featuring book recommendations, exclusive commentary, articles, and more.

Ann Patchett‘s The Dutch House explores the bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go. It’s a story of a paradise lost–one that digs deeply into questions of inheritance, love and forgiveness, of how we want to see ourselves and of who we really are.

Ann is the author of seven novels, The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician’s Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, State of Wonder, and Commonwealth. She was the editor of Best American Short Stories, 2006, and has written three books of nonfiction–Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with the writer Lucy Grealy, What Now? an expansion of her graduation address at Sarah Lawrence College, and This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a collection of essays examining the theme of commitment. In 2019, she published her first children’s book, Lambslide, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser.

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Patchett has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including England’s Orange Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Book Sense Book of the Year, a Guggenheim Fellowship, The Chicago Tribune’s Heartland Prize, The Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the American Bookseller’s Association’s Most Engaging Author Award, and the Women’s National Book Association’s Award. Her books have been both New York Times Notable Books and New York Times bestsellers. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages.

In November, 2011, she opened Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, with her business partner Karen Hayes.  She has since become a spokesperson for independent booksellers, championing books and bookstores on NPR, The Colbert Report (including the series finale), Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, The Martha Stewart Show, and The CBS Early Show, among many others. Along with James Patterson, she was the honorary chair of World Book Night. In 2012 she was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Ann lives in Nashville with her husband, Karl VanDevender, and their dog, Sparky. Click here to subscribe to her blog, Notes from Ann, featuring book recommendations, exclusive commentary, articles, and more.

Visit the Book Passage website to have any of Ann Patchett’s books delivered right to your door.

You’re sure to enjoy these Book Passage favorites:

A personal note from Ann Patchett. 

Sent July 14th, following her Conversations with Authors session.

Dear Friends of Book Passage,

I’m thrilled that you were able to join me and my dear pal Elaine for this event. Thank you for continuing to support your local independent bookstore. You’re lucky to have one of the very best, and I can say that because I’ve seen them all.

Some of my favorite books that have come out this year are:

• THE RESISTERS by Gish Jen
• THE NIGHTWATCHMAN by Louise Erdrich
• DEACON KING KONG by James McBride
• WRITERS & LOVERS by Lily King
• THE DRAGONS, THE GIANT, THE WOMEN by Wayetu Moore

Two great anti-racist books you might have missed:

• WHITE RAGE by Carol Anderson
• BLACK IS THE BODY by Emily Bernard

Why not read some poetry while you’re at it:

• THE SELECTED POEMS OF FRANK O’HARA

Read middle grade fiction even if you’re an adult:

• THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY AND EDWARD TULANE and THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT both by Kate DiCamillo

The book that will change your life once it’s published in September:

• TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM by Yaa Gyasi

Please stay safe, keep reading, and keep shopping local.

Love and thanks,

Ann Patchett