Ann Patchett Reveals The One Book She Thinks Everyone Should Read—Plus, the Inspiration for Her New Novel ‘Whistler’

Ann Patchett has spent the last three decades telling unforgettable stories. The award-winning New York Times bestselling author has written 15 critically acclaimed books like The Dutch House, Bel Canto and Tom Lake. In 2011, she started a new chapter in her literary life by opening Parnassus Books, a beloved independent bookstore in her home city of Nashville. But once upon a time, Ann was a third grader who couldn’t read—until she met a nun who changed her life. “Sister Nina kept me in from recess for three years,” she told Jenna Bush Hager during the Read With Jenna book festival in Nashville (that Woman’s World attended!). 

“I wanted to write because I couldn’t read—it’s really all connected. I feel like storytelling saved my life,” Ann told the audience. “I was a terrible speller, I couldn’t do punctuation, I couldn’t do all of those things. And I became very loyal to the idea that writing is the thing that saved me.” 

During their talk, Bush Hager went on to praise Ann for her savant-like talent of recommending great books and then asked her to share her absolute must-reads. So if you’re looking for book recommendations from Ann Patchett or interested in learning more about her new novel, Whistler, out now—or both—you’re in the right place. Keep reading to discover some of Ann’s absolute must-read book recommendations, what she thinks makes the “perfect summer book,” who inspired her latest novel, Whistler, and more.

Ann Patchett on the ‘perfect summer read’

“Here’s the thing—I think the perfect summer read is just a book you read in the summer,” Patchett said to the audience. “With that said, I’m going to recommend The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong and also there’s a book called Endling by Marie Reva and it’s about a scientist who is looking for snails in the Ukraine as the war is about to break out and it’s a life-changing book.”

What The Ocean of Gladness is about: In The Emperor of Gladness, Vuong tells the story of Hai, a 19-year-old Vietnamese American whose life takes an unexpected turn when an encounter with an elderly widow named Grazina pulls him back from the brink of despair. As Hai becomes a caretaker for the witty woman living with dementia, the two forge an unlikely friendship that transforms them both. Set in the fictional town of East Gladness, Connecticut, the novel is praised by readers and critics alike for its poignant explorations of resilience and chosen family.

What Endling is about: This novel centers on Yeva, a quirky scientist devoted to protecting endangered snails while juggling an unusual side job with a matchmaking company that pairs foreign men with Ukrainian women. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she becomes entangled with two sisters on a mission to find their missing activist mother, setting off a chaotic road trip across Ukraine. 

 

Ann’s recommendation for a child who just fell in love with books

“It’s got to be Kate DiCamillo,” Patchett said when asked this question by Bush Hager. “If you think about Frog and Toad—so like the first little chapter books you read for yourself—it’s called Orris and Timble.” 

What it’s about: The warm and funny book is part of an early-reader trilogy about the unlikely friendship between a solitary rat named Orris and a naive owl named Timble. They meet in a barn when Orris must overcome his instincts to rescue Timble from a trap. The book explores themes of courage, empathy and friendship.

Ann’s book recommendation by a Nashville-based author

“The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkle is a howling love letter to the world,” said Patchett. 

What it’s about: The Comfort of Crows is a lyrical collection of 52 essays that follows a year in the life of Renkl’s backyard ecosystem in Nashville. Blending observations of birds, plants and the changing seasons with reflections on family, grief and hope, Renkl creates a moving portrait of the natural world. The book is beautifully illustrated with original artwork by her brother, Billy Renkl.

Ann’s recommendation for somebody who needs a laugh

Bush Hager asked Patchett for her go-to pick for laughs and she immediately answered: “Sandwich by Catherine Newman.”

What it’s about: Fifty-four-year-old Rocky finds herself in a situation many women know well: her adult children no longer need her in the same way, her aging parents require more concern and she’s navigating the unpredictable symptoms of menopause. As she and her husband, Nick, head to Cape Cod for their annual beach vacation with their children, Rocky finds herself reflecting on a lifetime of memories—both joyful and painful.

The book she “wishes everyone could read once”

“The book that I call ‘the universal donor’ is James McBride’s The Color of Water,” Ann says. “If you have a PhD in literature, you’re going to love that book. If you haven’t read a book in 10 years, you’re going to love that book.”

What it’s about: In The Color of Water, James McBride explores race, identity and family through the intertwined stories of his own life and the life of his mother, Ruth McBride Jordan. Born in Poland to a Jewish family, Ruth defied expectations by marrying a Black man and raising 12 children in Brooklyn, inspiring her son’s search for belonging. Alternating between McBride’s reflections and Ruth’s memories, the memoir offers a powerful portrait of resilience, love and the complexities of race in America. 

Ann’s new novel is ‘Whistler’—and it’s not about a horse!

Patchett’s buzzy new book, Whistler, out now, features an eye-catching painting of a horse on its cover by Nashville artist Noah Saterstrom (he also painted the beautiful cover of Patchett’s The Dutch House)—but the book really isn’t about a horse. 

The novel follows 53-year-old Daphne Fuller who runs into Eddie Triplett, the former stepfather she hasn’t seen in decades, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As the two reconnect, they reflect on the choices, memories and losses that shaped their lives. 

The horse, named Whistler, plays a small but pivotal role in the overall story. “If you don’t want to read a book about horses, this is the book for you,” Patchett joked on Late Night Seth Meyers. “The horse is like five pages in the whole book. It takes place in New York City—it’s a very urban book, but there is an iconic moment with a horse.”

When asked to describe what Whistler is about, Patchett says it’s a story about love in all forms. “It’s a book about how if you have one person in your life who really loves you and sees you and supports you when you’re a child, it can make all the difference,” she said in an interview with Good Housekeeping. “It’s not a romantic love story, but it is, I feel, very much a love story.” 

The real-life inspiration behind ‘Whistler’

“One of my closest friends died, Jim Fox. The book is dedicated to him,” she continued. “I started to think about taking Jim’s voice—not his story, but his spirit—and putting all of the love that I had for him into a character, Eddie.”

Although the book was partly an exercise in grief and healing, Patchett goes on to say that it was a joyful experience overall. “The story isn’t real, but it’s autobiographical because I’m taking all of this love that is my love and putting it onto these characters,” she said. 

“I came up with this story in a matter of days when I realized I could channel Jim’s voice. The thought was like holding on to a golden thread. It was like I had beaten the system. I had figured out a way to be with him again. It was like if you found a secret door in your house that you could walk through and be with your best friend again. And you’re not sad. You’re ecstatic. It’s not the way I usually work, but writing it was a really happy experience.”