In 2012 she was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. She has since become a spokesperson for independent booksellers, championing books and bookstores. In November, 2011, she opened Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, with her business partner Karen Hayes. Her books have been both New York Times Notable Books and New York Times bestsellers. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages.

It is this unshakeable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.ĪNN PATCHETT is the author of seven novels and has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including England’s Orange Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the American Bookseller’s Association’s Most Engaging Author Award, and the Women’s National Book Association’s Award. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. The story is told by Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past.

I was so impressed that I read her most famous novel Commonwealth, straight after, and I enjoyed it even more, but more about that another week. I am ashamed to say that this is the first novel I’ve read by Anne Patchett, and I’m so glad I read it.

The dutch house tom hanks