The Best (So Far) of Summer
GMA, A letter from Susan Wiggs, What I'm Reading/Watching/Loving
Hello Dearest Readers,
We wanted this, didn’t we? We wanted summertime, and here we are and it’s so damn hot. (At least it is from where I’m typing this in New York City after a wild appearance on Good Morning America). It’s like a blow dryer or furnace; it’s like hell and a broken air conditioner fell in love. But still and still — it’s been amazing!
Last night, after my GMA appearance I was talking to my son-in-law about why it was so much fun, and it hit me that it wasn’t fun just because I was on National TV (which is a dream for any author), but because the experience was out of my comfort zone; it was an adventure that required my full attention and deep grounding to make sure I wasn’t talking too fast, or going on tangents. In other words it required all of me, and that was what filled me with energy. Any time we do something with our full self, with our undivided attention, I believe we are in the flow.
I spoke without a teleprompter and when the segment started my heart was like thunder in my chest. But then I looked the interviewer in the eye (George Stephanopoulos), and suddenly we were having a conversation just one on one. It was surreal and thrilling. For more about this event, visit my Instagram to see videos from the trip!
Meanwhile, I’d love to, of course, as always, tell you some of the things that are inspiring me right now.
What’s Inspiring Me Right Now
These are the summer reads I suggested on Good Morning America, and for even more suggestions, always tune into my Instagram feed where I give you some of my favorites year round!
Kristy Woodson Harvey — Beach House Rules
Kristin Harmel — The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
Morgan Pager — The Art of Vanishing
AND as an added bonus you know I suggest my other co-host of Friends & Fiction, Mary Kay Andrews’s Summers at the Saint out now in paperback!
What I’m Reading
This week Susan Wiggs’s newest is coming out— Wayward Girls. I was lucky enough to get an early read and this is what I had to say about it.
“Susan Wiggs rare and distinctive insight into the complexities of the human heart is a gift she shares in her storytelling. In Wayward Girls, Wiggs delivers a profoundly moving and emotionally charged novel about the resilience of the human heart and the power of women to forge unbreakable bonds in times of crisis. Wiggs explores the intricacies of love and survival as six girls battle to reclaim their lives and dignity in a home that is determined to destroy both. Set in the turbulent 1960’s, Wiggs breaks open the dark secrets of the past at a Catholic Reform School in Buffalo, NY. This unforgettable novel will keep you captivated, and the wayward girls will reside in your heart long after the last life-affirming page.”
—Patti Callahan Henry, NYT-bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea
A Note from Susan Wiggs
I’ve asked Susan to write a letter to you telling you some of why she wrote this novel and what it is about. So, here’s a note from Susan herself…
Dear Readers,
What a joy it is to be here in Patti Callahan Henry’s world! Like you, I’ve been swept away by The Story She Left Behind—a triumph of emotional storytelling. And if you're like me, you probably finished the last page and thought, Now what?
If you’re in that tender, post-novel state, looking for your next big read, I’d love to invite you into the world of my new book, Wayward Girls.
It starts out in 1968 Buffalo, where teenage girls are sent to a repressive home for the “wayward,” run by nuns and shrouded in secrets. I discovered the shocking existence of Magdalene laundries here in the U.S., patterned after the notorious workhouses of Ireland. One of the worst was at 485 Best Street in Buffalo, and the building still exists, haunted by secrets. As I delved into the research, I discovered many people knew a girl who was “sent away.” You’ll meet Mairin, the irrepressible ring leader sent to the nuns to keep her safe from her stepfather. Angela, who found safety and dignity in the library—although she became the victim of a predator. Helen, the daughter of intellectuals detained in communist China, and Odessa, who was swept up in a racial incident. Fifty years later, one of those girls—now a fierce, wounded woman—is forced to reckon with what really happened behind those locked doors.
Wayward Girls is about survival, sisterhood, and the stories we carry even when the world tries to silence us. It’s funny, tragic, ironic, and filled with the classic music and pop culture of the 60s and beyond. There’s even a reading group guide with a playlist HERE.
I hope it sparks conversations—especially in your book clubs—and finds its way onto the nightstands of readers who love both truth and redemption.
Thank you for inviting me into Patti’s beautiful circle of readers. Here’s to the stories we leave behind—and the ones we carry forward, together.
Warmly,
Susan Wiggs
@susan_wiggs_
What I’m Watching
I am loving the new season of The Bear (I know I am not the only one), laughing out loud at The Righteous Gemstones and crying my heart out at the hidden deep themes in Hacks.
What I’m Listening To
I am into full edit mode on my new work, so this recommendation is for writers and creatives — I am loving the Suwanee Review podcast. The editor interviews writers about their craft and process and I am working my way through every single episode.
Upcoming Events
Now back to my summer plans. I’ll be hanging out with my grandkids who are visiting, while also doing some reading and writing. Soon I will escape to the mountains to write with some pals and prep for a class I am teaching at the Kaiui Writer’s Conference with Ariel Lawhon in November!
For the rest of my schedule (including the Aspen Literary Festival), click HERE. (I’ll be interviewing our friend William Kent Krueger in Atlanta, so check out all my dates).
Friends & Fiction
We’ve got a great season underway at Friends & Fiction.
Tune in this Wednesday, July 16th for our interview with Adriana Trigiani. You can watch at 7pm Eastern on our Facebook group page or on our YouTube channel. All of our interviews air on Fridays on our podcast. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our Substack so you never miss a thing!
For now, have a great summer! I hope you are enjoying a good read, watch, or listen and I’d love to hear what you are loving!
With Love,
Patti
ABOUT PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY
New York Times Bestselling Author and Podcast Host
Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author of seventeen novels and a podcast host. Patti is the co-host and co-creator of the popular weekly web show, podcast, and online community, Friends & Fiction.
She lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama with her husband. Her newest novel, THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND will be released on March 18th, 2025.
Be sure to follow Patti on social media and visit her website for the latest updates and announcements!
Loved seeing and hearing you at Wesleyan where we learned even more about your superb book Becoming Mrs Lewis. Thank you for writing that wonderful story where we could get closer to the Lewises! ❤️
I loved The Story She Left Behind so much that when I finished the novel, I read it again. Bravo!!!!