Admiring Ann Patchett: Author, Literacy Ambassador, and Bookshop Owner

Ann Patchett is an award-winning author, co-owner of an independent bookstore, supporter of bookstore and comic shop employees, and a proud flip-flop fan. As she celebrates her birthday on December 2nd, we’re taking a moment to honor just a handful of her accomplishments.

Author Above All Else

Ann Patchett was born on December 2nd, 1963 in sunny Los Angeles, California, but moved to Nashville, Tennessee at six years of age. Patchett attended St. Bernard Academy in Nashville, then after graduation attended Sarah Lawrence College and the Iowa Writers Workshop.

After writing nine novels, serving as editor of Best American Short Stories, writing four non-fiction books, a collection of essays, and one children’s book, she has been the recipient of a number of awards and fellowships including a National Humanities Medal, England’s Women’s Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Book Sense Book of the Year, The Chicago Tribunes Heartland Prize, the Women’s National Book Association’s Award and more. Not to mention her books making the New York Times Notable Book List, the New York Times Bestsellers list, and her work being translated into more than 30 languages.

Keeping it Local

Patchett’s list of accomplishments doesn’t stop there, she also co-owns an independent bookstore with publisher Karen Hayes. Parnassus Books is located in Nashville, TN, and in an interview with the New York Times Patchett says of the business partnership, “All we want to do is read and talk about books and wear flip-flops. I’m really glad we have this place together where we can go. We’re like the guys from ‘Cheers’ who sit at the bar.”

That being said, if you ever find yourself unsure about what to read next, Patchett shares book recommendations on her website as well as new releases on the Parnassus Books Instagram. Since opening her bookstore, she has become quite the spokesperson for indie booksellers, championing books and bookstores on NPR, The Colbert Report, Oprah, The Martha Steward Show, and the CBS Early Show.

Book Industry Charitable Foundation

In an interview with the New York Times, Patchett said, “I want to be part of the ecosystem that keeps our industry alive” and the author is devoted to doing just that as an ambassador for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, an organization supporting bookstore and comic shop employees against hardship.

Whether it’s unforeseen emergency finances or medical and/or mental health service needs. Since its inception, the organization has provided over $11 million in financial assistance and scholarships to more than 10,000 families.

Patchett By Page

If you have yet to crack open an Ann Patchett book, and you’re feeling inspired to do so, here are a few titles we recommend picking up this month to celebrate the author’s birthday.

Tom Lake is a 2023 novel about 3 sisters who want to learn about their mother’s past relationship with a famous actor. The Book is set during the pandemic when the sisters find themselves bored and isolated.

The Dutch House is a 2019 novel that tells the story of siblings Danny and Maeve Conroy and their lives over five decades. The novel is about a brother and sister who grow up in a mansion known as the Dutch House and are exiled from the house by their stepmother.

Last but not least, Commonwealth is a 2016 novel that tells the story of a kiss that leads to an affair destroying two marriages and creating a blended family. The novel is set in the American suburbs and opens with an unexpected kiss at a Christening party.