-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
Summary | Discuss | Reviews | More Information | Read-Alikes
by Ann Patchett
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.
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (6/4/2026)
Sorry for the interruption; I also found 2 other articles she wrote. Those Precious Days in 2021 and The Story of A Happy Marriage in 2013. You can find them If goggle Ann Patchett essay.
-Lynne_G
Do you have a favorite quote from a book?
This is from Ann Patchett's book of essays, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage: "There can be something cruel about people who have had good fortune. They equate it with personal goodness."
-Christine_F
Name three nonfiction books you absolutely loved and would recommend
...ferent books: 1.Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of 2 Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of WWII by Robert Kurson 2. This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett 3. The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan
-Christine_F
"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
This information about This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
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.
If you liked This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, try these:
by Kate Riley
Published 2026
In this mesmerizing and profound novel, the arc of a woman's life in a devout, insular community challenges our deepest assumptions about what infuses life with meaning.
by Virginia Evans
Published 2025
Discover the word-of-mouth hit hailed by Ann Patchett as "a cause for celebration"—an intimate novel about the transformative power of the written word and the beauty of slowing down to reconnect with the people we love.
by Ann Patchett
Published 2025
In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America's finest writers.
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
