Come meet the acclaimed New York Times-bestselling writer behind Bel Canto. Ann Patchett returns with the Commonwealth, an enthralling story of how an unexpected romantic encounter irrevocably changes two families’ lives. Spanning five decades, the novel explores how this chance encounter reverberates through the lives of the four parents and six children involved. Told with equal measures of humor and heartbreak, Commonwealth is a meditation on inspiration, interpretation, and the ownership of stories. It is a brilliant and tender tale of the far-reaching ties of love and responsibility that bind us together.