Ann Patchett Shares Her Best Backlist Book Recommendations for Summer Reading

Buzzy brand-new books have their downsides: The waiting list is a mile long at the library and the hardcover price comes with sticker shock at the store. Bestselling author Ann Patchett has a refreshing solution: Look backward instead of forward. Patchett has a special appreciation for old books—backlist titles that came out 10, 25, even 50 or more years ago. On stage in Michigan in June during her Whistler book tour, she told the audience, “If you haven’t read it, it’s new to you!” Ready to discover your next great read? Keep scrolling for Ann Patchett’s top backlist book recommendations that are perfect (and super affordable) for summer.

Why Ann Patchett champions backlist books

It’s a commitment the author is passionate about as the owner of Parnassus Books, her independent bookshop in Nashville. That’s where Patchett loves sharing “new to you” hidden gems.

During a recent appearance at the National Writers Series (NWS), Patchett shared the story behind her backlist passion. She explained, “I had a business partner for the first 10 years we had the store. She was not in favor of backlists. She believed that we were there to sell hardback books that had just come out.” Patchett continued, “The second she retired, I locked the door and went ‘BACKLIST!’”

Now, her passionate backlist book recommendation videos on social media regularly go viral, clearly filling a need readers crave. “I can just mine my life of reading,” she explained, digging deep into her past and into bookshelves to retrieve the right story for any moment. Thanks to Patchett’s recommendations, avid readers everywhere can discover inspiring reads that are more affordable (yay, paperbacks!) and easier to find at their local library than new releases.

Patchett also knows the value of lifting up other lesser-known writers or stories with the power of word-of-mouth recommendations. “It’s so hard to publish a first book, and it’s a risk to buy a book from somebody whose work you don’t know. And you’re gonna go, and you’re gonna buy the Ann Patchett book. And I am so grateful to you. And I also want to tell you, I’m doing fine, so I want you to take a chance on [other terrific books],” she shared from the NWS stage. Here are five oldies but goodies she likes…

‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’ by Betty Smith

Patchett’s love of timeless stories was apparent when she raved about the 1943 semi-autobiographical novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. “It was my grandmother’s favorite book. It was my favorite book.”

Patchett explained the plot: “Francie Nolan and her family live in the slums of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. By the way, there are no slums in Williamsburg anymore. They are an Irish immigrant family, and Francie goes to the library again and again and asks for a book, and the librarian gives her the same two books.” Patchett connected the story to her own life. “When I was growing up, and I went to the library, again and again the book I always asked for was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I have no idea how many times I’ve read this book, but how vividly I remember it.” The story is about perseverance in the face of financial hardship.

One reason this book is ideal to read the summer of the nation’s 250th birthday? Patchett reveals, “This book was part of the Special Armed Services edition in World War II. They made a small copy of the book that the soldiers could fit in their jacket pocket, so they could have something to read in the trenches. Imagine going to war with a copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn!”

‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed

“We are doing a series of books that we think you should read while we’re celebrating the 250th anniversary of our country in the month of July,” said Patchett in another video. “I decided that one of our picks should be about nature in this country—the beauty of this country.” Patchett picked the 2012 memoir Wild. She explained, “Cheryl Strayed hikes the Pacific Crest Trail by herself. Maybe you saw the movie with Reese Witherspoon, but you should also read the book. It’s about going out into nature, facing really hard things in her personal life, but also the challenges and the wonders and the beauty of nature.”

‘A Walk in the Woods’ by Bill Bryson

In the same video, Patchett’s friend and colleague Andy Brennan recommended another nature-focused memoir, this one set on the opposite coast, published in 1999. He explained, “Bill Bryson has written a book called A Walk in the Woods. After living in Britain for 20 years, he comes back to the United States and he decides to rediscover America by hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.” Patchett, who’s also read and likes the book, quipped, “Doesn’t get very far, does he?” Brennan confirmed, jokingly, “He is not a good hiker.”

Brennan continued, “This is going to be a lot lighter read than Cheryl Strayed, but maybe that’s what we need.” He adds, “This is the only book that I can think of that made me laugh out loud while on an airplane and embarrassed me. It’s just a really fun read, and he does discover quite a bit about America in the process.”

‘The Death of the Heart’ by Elizabeth Bowen

Patchett recently came across the name Elizabeth Bowen, an author who was born in 1899. She shared, “There’s a name that I know, but I’ve never read her.” Then Patchett went about her busy schedule, preparing to interview author Louise Erdrich.

“I was listening to a podcast [Louise] did with Gilbert Cruz from The New York Times Book Review, and he asked her if there were any books that she reread,” Patchett explained. “She said, ‘The book that I reread every year is Elizabeth Bowen’s The Death of the Heart.’ So I thought the universe is telling me to read Elizabeth Bowen’s The Death of the Heart. Or more importantly, my friend Louise is telling me. Because if one of my favorite writers of all time recommends a book by a person… I just stumbled on 50 years after her death. Then I should read it.”

This 1938 novel follows a young girl in London named Portia who has been orphaned and is sent to live with an adult half brother and his wife, who despises her. Patchett says, “It’s beautiful. It should be up there with those books that everybody reads.”

‘The Known World’ by Edward P. Jones

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In another thought-provoking recommendation, Patchett and her author friend Lindsay Lynch recommend the powerful historical fiction novel The Known World, which came out in 2003. Lynch explained the compelling premise: “This book is set in the pre-Civil War South. It’s set in Virginia and it follows a family of black slave owners.” She adds, “It’s a book that really questions: What is real? What do we know? How do we know it? …Who told us?”

Patchett shared a fascinating detail about the author’s creative process: “He did the whole thing in his head, over the course of years. He memorized—in his head—that book, and then he sat down and typed it up.” And the book went on to win a Pulitzer Prize. Patchett raves about the author, “He’s an extraordinary human, the most silent and reflective person I think I’ve ever been in the room with, and yeah, brilliant, brilliant book!”

At the end of the day, Patchett wants all readers to embrace the joy of discovering timeless stories. Old books can still be worthy of our time today. So this summer, give yourself permission to explore the backlist—you might find your new favorite book has been waiting for you all along. Happy reading!