This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage
Reflections on love, loss, and personal growth
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published:14th Aug '14
Should be back in stock very soon
This memoir explores the significant life experiences of Ann Patchett, revealing her journey through love, loss, and personal growth in This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage.
In This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, Ann Patchett invites readers into her life through a series of poignant and entertaining stories. She reflects on the significant moments and the seemingly mundane experiences that have shaped her identity as a daughter, wife, friend, and writer. With a blend of humor and sincerity, Patchett recounts her tumultuous childhood, the challenges of an early divorce, and the thrill of her first book's publication. Each story reveals not only her resilience but also her capacity for joy and connection.
The memoir takes readers on a journey from her adventurous road trip in a Winnebago to her newfound love for opera. It highlights her determination as she scales a six-foot wall to join the Los Angeles Police Department, showcasing her adventurous spirit. Patchett also shares the heartache of losing her beloved grandmother and the joy of opening her own bookstore in Nashville, all while weaving in the love she has for her dog and her eventual happy marriage.
Ultimately, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a celebration of life's complexities, filled with emotional depth and wisdom. Patchett's writing is characterized by its warmth and honesty, making her experiences relatable and inspiring. This memoir is a testament to the idea that happiness can be found in both the grand and the everyday moments of life.
I hope it will not sound disrespectful if I say that I read this book for fun … But when I got to the end of the book, I realised I hadn’t taken a single note. I had been so engaged by Ann Patchett’s multifaceted story, so lured in by her confiding voice, that I forgot I was on the job … So compellingly personal you feel you’re looking over her shoulder as she sits down to write * International New York Times *
The pieces collected in This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage have exactly the tone of a good story told at a convivial dinner party, by someone who has told it often enough to have the timing down cold and who happily caters to her audience’s desire ... Patchett writes gracefully -- Laura Miller * Guardian *
She has an authoritative, straightforward voice in exploring some of the milestones of her life ... A memoir about her friendship with the deeply tortured writer Lucy Grealy, form the most telling and moving selections ... Many of these selections reveal a candid, evolved self-reflection * Publishers Weekly *
Witty, warm reflections on life, love and art of fiction ... she speaks about the love and happiness of her second and enduring marriage with immense beauty and insight, and without an iota of smugness -- Arifa Akbar * Independent *
Electrically entertaining ... Each of these essays feels fresh and bright and, just as importantly, they seem to fit together to achieve a fascinating whole ... Funny, generous, spirited and kind * Julie Myerson, The Times *
Patchett’s style at its best -- Matilda Bathurst * Spectator *
A brilliant mix of moving memoir and deeply personal essays ... consoling, inspiring, but, above all, true -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *
ISBN: 9781408842416
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 226g
320 pages