A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick I had been so engaged by Ann Patchetts multifaceted story, so lured in by her confiding voice, that I forgot I was on the job. [] As the best personal essays often do, Patchetts is a two-way mirror, reflecting both the author and her readers.New York Times Book Review Blending literature and memoir, New York Timesbestselling author Ann Patchett, author of State of Wonder, Run, and Bel Canto, examines her deepest commitmentsto writing, family, friends, dogs, books, and her husbandcreating 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 Patchetts 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.