Books by Ann Patchett

Winner of The Women's Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. The poignant - and at times very funny - novel from the author of State of Wonder and Commonwealth.

En stemningsmættet og gribende fortælling om båndet mellem to søskende, deres barndomshjem og en fortid, der ikke vil slippe dem.Efter 2. verdenskrig opbygger Cyril Conroy et ejendomsimperium og løfter sin familie fra fattigdom til rigdom. Han køber Det Hollandske Hus, en overdådig ejendom udenfor Philadelphia. Ment som en overraskelse til sin hustru bringer huset ulykke over familien, og alle dem, Cyril elsker, begynder at gå i opløsning.Historien fortælles af Cyrils søn Danny, som, sammen med sin skarpt iagttagende søster Maeve, bliver sendt i eksil fra deres barndomshjem af deres stedmor. De to velhavende søskende bliver kastet tilbage til den fattigdom, deres forældre var sluppet fri af, og de finder ud af, at de kun har hinanden at stole på.Det hollandske hus er et mørkt eventyr om to begavede mennesker, der ikke kan slippe fri af deres fortid. Trods alle ydre tegn på succes er Danny og Maeve kun rigtigt trygge, når de er sammen. Gennem hele livet vender de tilbage til historien om, hvad de mistede, men da de til sidst bliver tvunget til at konfrontere de mennesker, der svigtede dem, bliver forholdet mellem bror og søster udsat for sin ultimative test.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTIONThere were people on the banks of the river.Among the tangled waterways and giant anacondas of the Brazilian Rio Negro, an enigmatic scientist is developing a drug that could alter the lives of women for ever. Dr Annick Swenson's work is shrouded in mystery; she refuses to report on her progress, especially to her investors, whose patience is fast running out. Anders Eckman, a mild-mannered lab researcher, is sent to investigate.A curt letter reporting his untimely death is all that returns.Now Marina Singh, Anders' colleague and once a student of the mighty Dr Swenson, is their last hope. Compelled by the pleas of Anders's wife, Marina leaves the snowy plains of Minnesota and retraces her friend's steps into the heart of the South American darkness, determined to track down Dr. Swenson and uncover the secrets being jealously guarded among the remotest tribes of the rainforest.What Marina does not yet know is that, in this ancient corner of the jungle, where the muddy waters and susurrating grasses hide countless unknown perils and temptations, she will face challenges beyond her wildest imagination.Marina is no longer the student, but only time will tell if she has learnt enough.________________________________'The best book I have read all year. It made me laugh and weep and left me in a state of wonder: perfect from first page to last ... a masterpiece' EMMA DONOGHUE'A triumph ... Pachett's best book yet' GUARDIAN

'So compellingly personal you feel you're looking over her shoulder as she sits down to write' New York Times'Electrically entertaining ... Funny, generous, spirited and kind' The TimesThis Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is an irresistible blend of literature and memoir revealing the big experiences and little moments that shaped Ann Patchett as a daughter, wife, friend and writer. Here, Ann Patchett shares entertaining and moving stories about her tumultuous childhood, her painful early divorce, the excitement of selling her first book, driving a Winnebago from Montana to Yellowstone Park, her joyous discovery of opera, scaling a six-foot wall in order to join the Los Angeles Police Department, the gradual loss of her beloved grandmother, starting her own bookshop in Nashville, her love for her very special dog and, of course, her eventual happy marriage. This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a memoir both wide ranging and deeply personal, overflowing with close observation and emotional wisdom, told with wit, honesty and irresistible warmth.

Third - and breakthrough - novel by an acclaimed American writer with an enchanting, quirky voice. 'The Magician's Assistant' is at once a love story and a brilliant portrayal of reinvention about a magician who dies leaving his assistant/wife to discover he has lied about his past.

Blandt regnskovens stammefolk dybt inde i Amazonas er forsker dr. Annick Swenson i gang med at udvikle et medikament, der vil kunne forandre kvinders liv for al fremtid. Projektet er omgærdet af stor mystik, Swenson nægter at rapportere hjem, og investorerne er ved at miste tålmodigheden. Anders Eckman fra Swensons medicinalfirma sendes ned for at undersøge sagen. Det eneste, der kommer retur, er meddelelsen om hans død.Marina Singh, kollega til Anders og tidligere student under dr. Swenson, tager nu af sted – helt ind i Sydamerikas mørke hjerte – for at undersøge det påståede dødsfald og for at finde ud af, hvad det er for en velbevogtet hemmelighed, dr. Swenson skjuler.Marina ved ikke, at der i dette ældgamle hjørne af verden lurer farer, som kommer til at overgå hendes vildeste fantasi. Den unge forsker må lære at navigere i et territorium, hvor fornuften er sat ud af spil – og det er kun tiden, der kan vise, om dr. Swenson har lært hende nok.Mirakelfloden er en fortælling om kærlighed, vanvid og frygt og om de dilemmaer, der opstår, når videnskaben kolliderer med vores forestillinger om fornuft og etik.