This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a big fan of Ann Patchett's, but with the exception of Truth and Beauty, her memoir of her friendship with now-deceased Lucy Grealy, I've only ever read her fiction.  This book is a collection of her essays spanning several decades of her life.  The essays range from those written for various magazines to speeches she's given.

I really enjoyed reading this - it was reminiscent of reading Anna Quindlen's work - written so smoothly and so easy to digest.  But like Quindlen, Patchett covers plenty of difficult subjects, including her failed first marriage, her current marriage, her decision not to have children, her career, and her friendship with Grealy.

Perhaps one of the most interesting sections was after Grealy's death when Patchett was hired to speak at Tulane's freshman invocation.  Right-wing conservatives at Tulane saw her friendship with Grealy as lesbian and perverse, and she is picketed, protested, and treated oddly during her visit.  Following this essay is the text from her speech as well.

But the book is far more than another memoir of her relationship with Grealy, it also is a memoir of writing, relationships, and even some more mundane adventures - like when she decided to try to get into the LAPD academy.  Overall, an enjoyable read.


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