REVIEW:

This is the Story of a Crappy Title

Once upon a time there was a brilliant writer named Ann. Ann wrote award-winning novels but also thought-provoking essay pieces for various publications to help hone her craft. The essay topics ranged from growing up in a Catholic school, to loving and losing a beloved dog, to owning an independent bookstore in Nashville. They had the power to mesmerize readers with their insights and also bring them to tears in more than one heartfelt moment.

Then one day in 2013 some people had the idea to compile the pieces into a collection. They poured over the names of the various essays with the goal of slapping one on the book’s cover. Perfectly nice titles like “The Best Seat in the House,” “The Right to Read,” “Do Not Disturb,” and “Love Sustained” were passed over in lieu of one that would make it sound like a smug how-to manual shelved in the relationship self help section.

Fortunately Ann had devoted fans that would read anything she wrote, and those devotees bought the book anyway. “Read this!” they shouted from the rooftops (rooftops of course being Goodreads and personal review blogs). And thus “This is the Story of a Happy Marriage” found its happily ever after despite its Crappy Title.

The end.

PUBLISHER SYNOPSIS:

Blending literature and memoir, Ann Patchett, author of State of Wonder, Run, and Bel Canto, examines her deepest commitments — to writing, family, friends, dogs, books, and her husband — creating a resonant portrait of a life in This is the Story of a Happy Marriage.

This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage takes us into the very real world of Ann Patchett’s life. Stretching from her childhood to the present day, from a disastrous early marriage to a later happy one, it covers a multitude of topics, including relationships with family and friends, and charts the hard work and joy of writing, and the unexpected thrill of opening a bookstore.

As she shares stories of the people, places, ideals, and art to which she has remained indelibly committed, Ann Patchett brings into focus the large experiences and small moments that have shaped her as a daughter, wife, and writer.