by Ann Patchett (Bloomsbury, £8.99)

Celebrated American novelist Ann Patchett reveals who she is and what she lives for in this charming, companionable, compassionate essay collection.

There are breezy magazine articles on Winnebagos, waitressing and checking into five-star hotels to escape the rigours of modern life; there are tips for aspiring writers and advice on the creative process, along with beguiling meditations on books and bookshops.

But the real heart of this irresistible book is in Patchett’s devastatingly truthful insights into love, divorce, marriage and friendship.

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