The home of Patti Callahan Henry

 

                     

                              

                           

                           

Whew! That's a lot of book jackets to show. Good for you Patti, well done!

I first met Patti Callahan Henry at a SIBA (Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance) Trade Show in Daytona Beach, FL in 2010.

I represented one of her publishers and we had a magical dinner together at a local Italian restaurant. Since then we occasionally bump into each other at various functions and it's always a delight to see her. Six years ago, in this blog, I highlighted her career and newest book at the time, The Idea of Love. This is where I found out that if she could go back in time, she would want to have a few glasses of wine with Aristotle! Click here: Patti Callahan Henry (advancereadingcopy-jon.blogspot.com) to read the post. 

Patti's next book, Surviving Savannah , will be published by Berkley and releases in March. 

It sounds sooooo good and is described this way. "It was called “The Titanic of the South.” The luxury steamship sank in 1838 with Savannah’s elite on board; through time, their fates were forgotten–until the wreck was found, and now their story is finally being told in this breathtaking novel."
  

As you know, one of the most popular posts I do on authors is to showcase their homes. So, since Patti is in between writing her next international best seller, I thought it would be nice for you all to see where she hangs out. Below are photos and her descriptions of her beautiful Mountain Brook, AL home. We'll get to meet Winnie, and Patti even did the dishes so we could see her kitchen.

Patti's gorgeous home in Mountain Brook.

Come right in!

"One wall of my office. The painting was done by a dear friend, Caryn Crawford, who saw a photo I posted of the May River at dawn in Bluffton, SC. This river, which is actually a bay, is my place of solace and I often post pictures of it. She saw what it meant to me and painted this beautiful piece of art. The mantle was once crowded with loads of photos and artifacts and favorite pieces but when I received this painting I cleaned it all off so it could be centered in my room."

Living Room and Winnie

"My office looking from my desk, Winnie is anywhere I am! She’s almost four years old, we got her the weekend my youngest graduated from High School!" 

"On my table:

Vintage lettering PCH from a flea market in Paris on my 50th birthday with my daughter. 

A paper weight with "Courage, Dear Heart" — a quote from Narnia’s Aslan.

A fossil of a feather imprint.

A tiny tray with “our hearts are very old friends” from a dear friend.

A photo of my daughter, Meagan, with me at my very first book signing in 2004.

Two photos of my sons at the beach years ago. 

A photo of the front door of the small schoolhouse on Daufuskie Island where Pat Conroy once taught, taken by my close friend and photographer Sandee O.

A paper weight with three red cardinals (an ode to the beginning of my book Coming up for Air) 

A picture of me at my desk with my beloved dog, Hank, who passed about four years ago. He never left my side. 

Two Wonder Woman figurines given to me by another dear friend.

Antique books on spelling and writing also given to me by Sandee O.

The always present John O’Donohue and The Artist’s Way to dip into whenever I need them — which is often." 

"My very, very messy bookshelves. The half angel-half mermaid was given to me by the author Mary Alice Monroe and I love how the angel watches over me. 

The little doll figurine on the bottom right is a handmade replica of Joy Davidman. 

There are crystals and rocks and feathers that I’ve gathered all through the years scattered about the shelves. 

The awards include the Alabama Library Association Book of the Year and the Christy Award book of the year."

"My bulletin board that I cleaned up just for you😊! Included: A quote by Jack Kerouac. A photo of me in the Bird and Baby pub in Oxford, England, cheering Jack Lewis. My kids when they were little. A coaster from a pub in Ireland that inspired the pub in The Favorite Daughter. A picture of the luggage name tag found at the bottom of the sea after almost two hundred years that belongs to my character in Surviving Savannah (so crazy — it’s the only luggage tag they’ve found so far, and it’s from the woman I had written about). A poem about trust with a fantastic line “And sometimes you can see how faithfully your life is delivered, even though you can’t read the address.” A photo of my favorite bike path in Bluffton, SC. A photo from a newspaper of Joy Lewis (C S. Lewis wife) and her dog Susie right before her miraculous recovery in in 1957. Postcards from friends. A postcard from Muscle Shoals AL. A postcard from a restaurant in NYC where I made a decision to work on a project I am still working on..."

  

 

"Our winter back garden."

   

   

"The back porch (where I hide sometimes)"

"Kitchen in winter morning light." 

  (Thanks for doing all the dishes just for me, Patti!)

                                     

"Our dining room. I found the mirror in Savannah and had to have it even though I didn’t know where I’d put it. Sometimes we have to trust that something we are attracted to will find its place."

Thank you Patti, not only for sharing your beautiful home with us, but also for all the wonderful stories you have told and fascinating people you have brought to our hearts and eyes.