Ann Packer has returned to the literary spotlight with her first novel in a decade — and it’s already earned one of the industry’s most coveted endorsements. Oprah Winfrey announced Tuesday that Packer’s Some Bright Nowhere is her latest book club selection.
Published this week, the novel explores love, loss, and loyalty through the story of a long-married couple confronting life’s hardest questions after the wife receives a terminal diagnosis. Her final wish — that two close friends, not her husband, care for her in her final days — sets off a profound meditation on the meaning of marriage, friendship, and choice.
“This beautifully written story is going to get you thinking about some things that really matter,” Winfrey said in a statement. “It leaves you questioning the obligations of marriage and the difference between male and female friendships — and one of the most significant questions of all: How do you want to spend your last days?”
Packer, 66, is best known for her acclaimed debut The Dive from Clausen’s Pier (2002), a bestseller that established her as a major literary voice. She has since published two other novels, Songs Without Words and The Children’s Crusade, along with the short story collection Mendocino and Other Stories.
Like many authors before her, Packer learned of her selection through an unexpected phone call from Winfrey. “I don’t think I’ve ever said ‘Oh my God’ so many times in so few minutes,” Packer said.
Winfrey’s announcement continues her ongoing partnership with Starbucks. She and Packer recently discussed the book at a New York City Starbucks, with their conversation airing on Winfrey’s YouTube channel and podcast platforms.
Since its debut in 1996, Oprah’s Book Club has transformed the publishing landscape, turning dozens of titles into bestsellers and driving an estimated 55 million copies of “Oprah editions.” Now in its Apple TV+ era, the club continues to shape reading trends — and with Some Bright Nowhere, Winfrey adds another emotionally resonant novel to her celebrated list.
