Ann Patchett Reveals the Personal Side of Writing in 'Commonwealth'

Ann Patchett’s writing has covered a wide landscape of topics, from the romance between hostages and their captors in “Bel Canto” to the painful toll of her friend’s cancer and heroin addiction in the memoir “Truth and Beauty.” Patchett’s newest novel, “Commonwealth,” is loosely based on her own family history, as six stepsiblings struggle to heal from the trauma of their childhoods. Patchett discusses what happens when an author turns the lens on herself, her thoughts on feminism and writing, and why she identifies more as an independent bookseller than a famous author.