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Published Nov 2013
320 pages
Genre: Essays
Publication Information
Blending literature and memoir, Ann Patchett, author of State of Wonder, Run, and Bel Canto, examines her deepest commitments - to writing, family, friends, dogs, books, and her husband - creating a resonant portrait of a life in This is the Story of a Happy Marriage.
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage takes us into the very real world of Ann Patchett's life. Stretching from her childhood to the present day, from a disastrous early marriage to a later happy one, it covers a multitude of topics, including relationships with family and friends, and charts the hard work and joy of writing, and the unexpected thrill of opening a bookstore.
As she shares stories of the people, places, ideals, and art to which she has remained indelibly committed, Ann Patchett brings into focus the large experiences and small moments that have shaped her as a daughter, wife, and writer.
"Early on, her writing teacher Russell Banks had warned Patchett of being too 'polished' and 'just getting by,' urging her to take risks, and certainly many of these selections reveal a candid, evolved self-reflection." - Publishers Weekly
"A sense of what truly grounds Patchett - her writing, her friends, her husband - emerges." - Library Journal
"Wise, humane and always insightful." - Kirkus
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women's Prize in the U.K., and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books.
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