Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. HarperCollins, 2016.
                                   Adult fiction


Ann Patchett does not disappoint with her smooth storytelling and intricately crafted characters. When I picked up this galley at Texas Library Association, the cover really didn't tell much about the book, but based on Patchett's other work, I grabbed it. Coming out in September, 2016, the book will only enhance the reputation of bookstore owner and author Ann Patchett. Looking for a family drama for the autumn? This is it!


Two families live in the same community and their lives intertwine. No one can predict, though, that the two marriages will break apart as one mother and one father fall in love with each other. Pulled from California to Virginia to live with a new father, one set of children grow up with visits from the other set of children. The two "abandoned" parents do the best that they can with their own lives.  The novel takes off as the five adult children adapt and come to grips with their childhoods. Each  character is very different, but readers will care about both their pasts, some of which are revealed only as adults, and their futures, which happen both because of and in spite of, their shared pasts.