Ann Patchett Recommends 5 Books That Work Like Therapy When Life Feels Overwhelming

“Sometimes we wake up in the middle of the night because we feel anxious about things that are going on that are beyond our control, and we think, ‘What’s the answer? Where’s the comfort?’” confesses bestselling author Ann Patchett in an online reel to fans. As the owner of Parnassus Books, Patchett has been giving out thoughtful book recommendations to readers for a decade. She knows better than anyone that there is a book for every mood. So we turned to her to learn what stories she reaches for to soothe a restless soul, restore calm and feel hopeful for the future. In our increasingly stressful and busy times, enjoy escaping into one of these beloved books.

5 books Ann Patchett says can work like therapy

You might notice these aren’t the newest releases—and that’s exactly the point. They are backlist titles. As Patchett loves to say, “If you haven’t read them, they’re new to you!” These time-tested treasures have comforted and entertained readers for generations.

‘Beowulf’ translated by Seamus Heaney

When Patchett herself had a restless night recently and her mind was spinning, she realized, “Beowulf is what I need. Specifically, I need the Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf that came out in 2000.”

As part of her “New To You” social media series, she explains, “This is the amazing magic that books do for us. It lodges in our brain. It stays there, and then when we need it, we can pull it back up again.” So Patchett grabbed this book she hadn’t read in 20 years and gave it another look. Though this story was written anonymously hundreds of years ago, this particular version is by a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

What is this ancient epic about? When a monster keeps eating people in a village, a foreigner named Beowulf arrives to save the day. Why does this old tale soothe modern anxiety? Patchett says, “It’s so satisfying. It’ll make you feel warm, safe. It’ll make you understand what really matters in life, which is kindness, courage, bravery, good deeds.” She adds, “It is beautiful. You can’t put it down.”

One reviewer agreed, sharing, “I finally saw what everyone was always ranting and raving about. The story is fantastic. The translation is beautiful, the characters moved me, and I fell in love with Beowulf.”

‘The Wind in the Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame

We all have those classic books we’ve somehow never gotten around to reading—and Patchett is no exception. But it shouldn’t be a source of stress. “Have you ever lied about having read a book?” asked Patchett during another reel. “One of the books that I lie about having read is Wind in the Willows.” She explained how she finally corrected that error. “So I just read it at the age of 62. Let me tell you, this book is like a therapy project. I felt so much better about everything after I read [it].”

For a refresher, this British classic from 1908 follows whimsical creatures including Toad, Badger, Mole and Ratty. It is part adventure, part social satire. Patchett explains, “It is a soul-calming, peaceful book about friendship and nature, about making mistakes and being forgiven, about having adventures and being brave, about problem solving.” She adds, “I just felt this complete rush of peace go through me when I was reading this book. I felt completely renewed.”

One Goodreads reviewer shared, “Some books just make the world a better place… this is one of them.”

‘The Big Book of the Dead’ by Marion Winik

Marion Winik was a well-known commentator on the radio show All Things Considered and Patchett raves about this 2019 collection of super short essays. Each is a tribute to a different person who has passed away from a town Winik lived in, such as Baltimore, Maryland and Glenrock, Pennsylvania. She writes about everyone from her mother and her childhood eye doctor to a local realtor—ordinary people who left meaningful marks on her life. “Marion Winik is just an amazing force of creativity and good thinking in the world,” Patchett says. “She manages in such a short space to completely flesh out a character and make you feel so connected to that person.”

Here’s where the hope comes in: “It’s also just a beautiful book about life and connection, and it’s a beautiful book about grief and how the people in our lives who die never leave us. They are points of connection throughout the rest of our life.”

One fan wrote, Winik “cuts down the day-to-day stressors that consume our lives by reflecting on the priceless memories of those she has lost.”

‘This Time Tomorrow’ by Emma Straub

Great books can make us want to forge better bonds with our loved ones—and This Time Tomorrow, a novel from 2022, is a perfect example. The story is about a woman who time travels back to see her beloved father. Patchett says, “This time travel strengthens and deepens their relationship.”

Patchett adds, “This is such a fantastic book, and I feel like it’s the book that so many people are looking for. It’s different. It’s funny. It’s moving. It’s smart. It’s gripping. It’s so touching and innovative.”

One reviewer explained, “It really gets you thinking about making choices and not being passive, enjoying time in the present and not always living in the past or future. And I think what I enjoyed most about the book is how relatable it is to anyone.”

‘Brown Girl Dreaming’ by Jacqueline Woodson

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The right story can also help us create a better world to live in. Patchett says this about the 2014 National Book Award winner: “It really is a national treasure of a book.” It’s Woodson’s memoir of growing up and moving through Ohio, North Carolina and New York. Patchett shares, “It reads quickly, lots of easy places to stop and talk about the history of this country,” and what it means to be a dreamer and to long for a bigger, better life.

One reviewer revealed, “This book has been marketed as middle grade, but I would recommend it to everyone. It is a remarkably beautiful collection of poetry, rich in history. I think it is so hard to write from a child’s perspective and honestly capture the thoughts and perspective from that time in life, but Jacqueline Woodson does so brilliantly.”

And at the end of the day, isn’t that what this relaxing pastime is all about? Patchett stresses, “That’s what books do—they give us empathy and they give us a window into other people’s lives.” And by escaping into a good book our own worries can shift to the back burner. Happy reading!