In her latest novel, Tell Two Friends (Lake Union Publishing), Ann Garvin offers a gripping tale about a woman who writes to an incarcerated woman, only to learn 25 years later that her pen pal is actually a man who has moved next door.
The novel is featured in People magazine and on Zibby Owens’ Most Anticipated Fall Books list.
USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan calls the novel “a triumph of storytelling” and describes the author as “a national treasure.”
In her review, she writes, “There is no one more skilled at delving into the funny/sad truths of the human heart and soul and spinning them into an irresistible page-turner. Tell Two Friends is both terrifying and inspirational, a chilling thriller mixed with the authentic journey of a smart, relatable woman trying to juggle an impossible life. Calling all book clubs, this is your next thought-provoking and empowering selection ― as reputation, family and life all hang in the balance.”
Garvin is the USA Today bestselling author of seven novels, including Bummer Camp, There’s No Coming Back from This and I Thought You Said This Would Work. A finalist for the Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize, Ann writes about women who do too much in a world that asks too much from them.
She currently teaches creative writing at Drexel University in its low-residency master of fine arts program and has held positions at Miami University and Southern New Hampshire in their master of fine arts creative writing programs.
Garvin is also the founder of the multiple award–winning Tall Poppy Writers, a group of authors committed to helping readers find wonderful books. She is a sought-after speaker on writing, leadership and health and has taught extensively in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and at festivals across the country and in Europe.
In 2026, she keynoted the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, where she has served as a faculty member.