Shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2012.

Shortlisted for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize 2011.

There were people on the banks of the river. Among the tangled waterways and giant anacondas of the Brazilian Rio Negro, an enigmatic scientist is developing a drug that could alter the lives of women for ever.

Comparison: Jane Urquhart, Barbara Kingsolver, Louise Erdrich
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Synopsis

Dr Annick Swenson's work is shrouded in mystery; she refuses to report on her progress, especially to her investors, whose patience is fast running out. Anders Eckman, a mild-mannered lab researcher, is sent to investigate. A curt letter reporting his untimely death is all that returns. Now Marina Singh, Anders's colleague and once a student of the mighty Dr Swenson, is their last hope. Compelled by the pleas of Anders's wife, who refuses to accept that her husband is not coming home, Marina leaves the snowy plains of Minnesota and retraces her friend's steps into the heart of the South American darkness, determined to track down Dr. Swenson and uncover the secrets being jealously guarded among the remotest tribes of the rainforest. What Marina does not yet know is that, in this ancient corner of the jungle, where the muddy waters and susurrating grasses hide countless unknown perils and temptations, she will face challenges beyond her wildest imagination. Marina is no longer the student, but only time will tell if she has learnt enough.

Reviews

PRAISE FOR RUN:

'Her books are so warm, so overflowing with love and affection, that when you've finished reading one your first inclination is to embrace it
Guardian

'This is a spectacular read and more than a match for Bel Canto ... Full of suspense, exciting and unpredictable, this is a novel that keeps you guessing until the end'
Sunday Express

'It is a long time since I have read such a delicately nuanced novel, where the overall pleasure lies simply in reading an award-winning writer at the top of her game'
Sunday Telegraph

'Enthralling ... It's a skilled piece of writing, a jigsaw narrative that leaps from one character to another with apparent seamlessness. There are moments of pinprick-sharp description that stand out with startling clarity'
Observer

About the Author

Ann Patchett is the author of four previous novels, including Bel Canto, which won the Orange prize. She writes for the New York Times Magazine, Elle, GQ, The Paris Review and Vogue. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Run, published by Bloomsbury in August 2007, and in paperback in June 2008, is a moving story of overlapping lives.   Author photo © Melissa Ann Pinney   Fellow novelist KERRY REICHS on ANN PATCHETT Pretty much anything Ann Patchett ever wrote is a sure thing in my book.  I first read Bel Canto, and quickly followed it with everything else.  Patchett’s sharp eyes don’t miss much when observing the intensity of relationships and human emotion.  She has a deft touch for showing without over-telling, and providing readers with a view straight to the heart of a diverse array of people.  Her novel Run is a welcome reminder that there exist good people trying to good in the world, and you feel better for having read it. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation