American writer Ann Patchett's novel taps her family

Always growing: ‘I always, in every book, want to do something I haven’t done,’ says Patchett, whose latest novel spans half a century unlike her previous works that cover briefer periods. Photo: Heidi Ross

American author Ann Patchett always swore she would never write an autobiographical novel.

“I get too distracted by the facts,” she said in a 2007 interview. “No room left for the imagination.” If she wrote about herself, “I would write the most boring book in the world”.