Patchett Reveals Whistler Favorite, Plans Children's Book

At the Library of Congress National Book Festival, Ann Patchett revealed that her current favorite among her ten novels is her latest, Whistler. She also shared that a picture book, Button at the Bookstore, is due February 2, 2027, and hinted she may focus more on essays for The New Yorker. Patchett praised Kate DiCamillo’s The Magician’s Elephant as a favorite work of hers among other authors’ books, underscoring DiCamillo’s status as a national treasure. She also highlighted forthcoming reads to watch for, including Meg Mason’s new novel, and named Yiyun Li’s Music Against the Night as her very favorite. The author also touched on other notable titles like Douglas Stuart’s John of John, reflecting a festival-wide mood of celebrating both Patchett’s own evolving output and a broad range of new and lesser-known fiction. Overall, the coverage portrays Patchett as both a generous advocate for peers and an enthusiastic, forward-looking reader at the festival.