A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick“I had been so engaged by Ann Patchett's multifaceted story, so lured in by her confiding voice, that I forgot I was on the job. [...] As the best personal essays often do, Patchett's is a two-way mirror, reflecting both the author and her readers.”-New York Times Book ReviewBlending literature and memoir,New York Timesbestselling author Ann Patchett, author ofState ofWonder, Run,andBel Canto,examines her deepest commitments-to writing, family, friends, dogs, books, and her husband-creating a resonant portrait of a life inThis is the Story of a Happy Marriage.This Is the Story of a Happy Marriagetakes 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.