Ann Patchett

In the punt on the river in the cave, beneath the dim light of glowing worms, it was thoughts of my own death that consumed me.

Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful businessman from Japan, is excited to hear his favorite opera singer, Roxanne Coss, perform at his birthday party in the home of the South American Vice President. Just as she sings the final note, the lights go out, and terrorists emerge from the darkness with guns and chaos. The terrorists make their list of demandswhich is widely ignored. The only thing the police are willing to give them is supplies for the hostages. The man in charge quickly realizes there are too many hostages and lets the women and the servants go which thins the number to less than half. The only woman hostage that was not released was Roxanne, who is expected to entertain them with her soothing voice. As days turn into weeks, then months, friendships form in the strangest of situations. They know that if they do get out alive, they will never be the same.

Eva Nelson was a beautiful girl This article is only available as a PDF to subscribers. Sorry, we could not verify your access to this PDF.

The 15th annual Nantucket Book Festival, June 11-14 this year, is the flagship program of the Nantucket Book Foundation and the centerpiece of its mission to build a thriving community of readers and writers on and beyond Nantucket.

Whistler is exceptional: a reminder of how some people in your life may cause you pain, but if you love them, and they love you, that’s enough.

If you want to live in a world where people read, novelist Ann Patchett has news for you: it's your job to help create that reality. Tracing her path from a chance airport encounter through a career writing iconic novels and opening a beloved independent bookstore, she makes the case that reading isn't a private pleasure but a civic act that builds empathy, sustains a "long-format brain" and pulls people out of isolation. Ready to lose yourself in a book?