Book Series Guide
Ann Patchett

Author guide

Ann Patchett Books in Order

Ann Patchett (born 1963) is an American author whose bibliography spans ten novels, four nonfiction books comprising memoir and essay collections, and three picture books created with illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser. Her work frequently explores family, friendship, love, loss, art, and moral responsibility. She is the recipient of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Women's Prize for Fiction, among other honors, and is a co-owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Catalog record updated .

Ann Patchett's Newest Book

Cover of Whistler

Whistler

novel · First published 2026

The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time. When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again, time falls away; while their relationship was brief, it had a profound impact on them both, and now that they are reunited, they have no intention of ever being separated again. Whistler is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. It’s a story about bravery, memory, the often small yet consequential moments that define our lives, and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for us all. Beautiful in its simplicity, it is ultimately about how love endures, and how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of The Patron Saint of Liars

The Patron Saint of Liars

Chronological starting point and Ann Patchett's debut novel.

Cover of Bel Canto

Bel Canto

A widely acclaimed standalone novel and an accessible introduction to her fiction.

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (10)
  1. The Patron Saint of Liars

    novel · 1992

    St. Elizabeth's, a home for unwed mothers in Habit, Kentucky, usually harbors its residents for only a little while. Not so Rose Clinton, a beautiful, mysterious woman who comes to the home pregnant but not unwed, and stays. She plans to…

  2. Taft

    novel · 1994

  3. The Magician's Assistant

    novel · 1997

    The national bestseller--now in paperback. When the magician Parsifal dies, his assistant, Sabine, who was also for only the last few months of his life married to Parsifal, must sort out the emotional baggage she inherits.s

  4. Bel Canto

    novel · 2001

    Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international…

  5. Run

    novel · 2007

    'Enthralling' Observer 'A spectacular read' Sunday Express 'An award-winning writer at the top of her game' Telegraph A moving story of overlapping lives from the Orange Prize-winning author of Bel Canto Tip and Teddy are becoming men…

  6. State of Wonder

    novel · 2011

    As Dr. Marina Singh embarks upon an uncertain odyssey into the insect-infested Amazon, she will be forced to surrender herself to the lush but forbidding world that awaits within the jungle. Charged with finding her former mentor Dr.…

  7. Commonwealth

    novel · 2016

    "One Sunday afternoon in Southern California, Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keating's christening party uninvited. Before evening falls, he has kissed Franny's mother, Beverly--thus setting in motion the dissolution of their marriages…

  8. The Dutch House

    novel · 2019

    From Ann Patchett, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Commonwealth, comes a powerful, richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go.…

  9. Tom Lake

    novel · 2023

    In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers. “Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature.” —The Guardian A…

  10. Whistler

    novel · 2026

    The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time. When Daphne Fuller and her husband…

Nonfiction (1)
Essays and speeches (3)
  1. What Now?

    essay · 2008

    Based on her lauded commencement address at Sarah Lawrence College, this stirring essay by bestselling author Ann Patchett offers hope and inspiration for anyone at a crossroads, whether graduating, changing careers, or transitioning from…

  2. This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage

    essay-collection · 2013

    Offering an invitation into her personal life, the noted author shares the stories of the people, places, ideals, and art to which she has remained indelibly committed.

  3. These Precious Days

    essay-collection · 2021

    'Any story that starts will also end.' As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this as she explores family, friendship, marriage,…

Children's books (3)
  1. Lambslide

    picture-book · 2019

  2. Escape Goat

    picture-book · 2020

    From the international bestselling author of Bel Canto and The Dutch House, Ann Patchett, and the bestselling illustrator of the Fancy Nancy series, Robin Preiss Glasser, comes a hilarious children's story about a scapegoat who escapes…

  3. The Verts: A Story of Introverts and Extroverts

    picture-book · 2024

    From the New York Times bestselling duo of award-winning author Ann Patchett and Fancy Nancy illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser comes an empathetic story about introverts and extroverts, and two siblings who learn to be themselves. The Vert…

Frequently asked questions about Ann Patchett

Who is Ann Patchett?

Ann Patchett is an American author of novels, nonfiction, and children’s books. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sources: annpatchett.com (opens in a new tab)loc.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where was Ann Patchett born, and where did she grow up?

Patchett was born in Los Angeles and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at age six. Nashville remains her home.

Source: womensprize.com (opens in a new tab)

What influenced Ann Patchett’s writing?

Her formative literary influences include Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, and John Updike. She has also identified writers Allan Gurganus and Grace Paley as important mentors.

Sources: apnews.com (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)

Which major awards has Ann Patchett won?

She won the 2002 PEN/Faulkner Award and the United Kingdom’s Women’s Prize for Fiction for Bel Canto, and she received the National Humanities Medal. The Library of Congress announced her as the 2026 recipient of its Prize for American Fiction.

Sources: penfaulkner.org (opens in a new tab)womensprize.com (opens in a new tab)newsroom.loc.gov (opens in a new tab)annpatchett.com (opens in a new tab)

What is Ann Patchett’s legacy beyond her writing?

Patchett has become a prominent advocate for independent bookselling and literacy. She opened Parnassus Books in Nashville in 2011 and founded a foundation that gives books to children in Title I schools.

Sources: parnassusbooks.net (opens in a new tab)annpatchett.com (opens in a new tab)