Some Bright Nowhere

by Ann Packer

The bestselling, beloved author returns with her first novel in over a decade, an intimate and profoundly moving look at a long marriage and the ways in which a startling request can change a couple’s understanding of who they are, together and apart.

Eliot and his wife Claire have been happily married for nearly four decades. They’ve raised two children in their sleepy Connecticut town and have weathered the inevitable ups and downs of a long life spent together. But eight years after Claire was diagnosed with cancer, the end is near, and it is time to gather loved ones and prepare for the inevitable.


Over the years of Claire’s illness, Eliot has willingly—lovingly—shifted into the role of caregiver, appreciating the intimacy and tenderness that comes with a role even more layered and complex than the one he performed as a devoted husband. But as he focuses on settling into what will be their last days and weeks together, Claire makes an unexpected request that leaves him reeling. In a moment, his carefully constructed world is shattered.


What if your partner’s dying wish broke your heart? How well do we know the deepest desires of those we love dearly? As Eliot is confronted with this profound turning point in his marriage and his life, he grapples with the man and husband he’s been, and with the great unknowns of Claire’s last days.


Ann Packer makes a triumphant return with this powerful novel that is tender and raw, visceral and unexpected. Emotionally vibrant and complex, Some Bright Nowhere explores the profound gifts and unexpected costs of truly loving someone, and the fears and desires we experience as the end of life draws near.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Marriage, Book Club, Romance

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 11, 2025

About the author

In addition to her upcoming novel Some Bright Nowhere, Ann Packer is the author of three bestselling novels: The Children’s Crusade, Songs Without Words, and The Dive from Clausen’s Pier, which received the Kate Chopin Literary Award among many other prizes and honors. Her short fiction has been published in two collections — Mendocino and Other Stories and Swim Back to Me — and includes stories that appeared in The New Yorker and in the O. Henry Prize Stories anthologies. Ann’s work has been translated into over a dozen languages and published around the world.

Ann was born in Stanford, California, and grew up near Stanford University, where her parents were professors. She attended Yale University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. In 1995 she returned to the Bay Area, where she raised her children and lived for many years. Now, along with her husband, the novelist and screenwriter Rafael Yglesias, she divides her time among New York, the Bay Area, and Maine.

Reviews

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging. Unthinkable. Shocking. Heartbreaking...

Eliot and Claire, happily married for almost 40 years, have two adult children and two beautiful grandchildren whom they adore. Their lives together were whole and happy until Claire was diagnosed with cancer. Throughout her illness, her devoted husband selflessly transitioned into the role of caregiver. Now, eight years later, the end is near for Claire, and Eliot is preparing to spend their last days together, when Claire approaches him with a Dying Wish that sets his world spinning...

Some Bright Nowhere has a premise I found both fascinating and shocking. Despite its few pages, this is a heavy read, almost entirely written in third person from Eliot's perspective. As a woman, I do understand Claire's Dying Wish, but seeing Eliot's experience, and as a wife, I don't believe I would subject my husband to this kind of passive-aggressive decision. The Golden Rule would happily win out.

I read the DRC while listening to the audiobook narrated by Will Damron, whose narration is steady. However, there is little distinction between the narrator’s gender voicing, causing it to sound muddled more often than not. There are enough female characters to also warrant a female narrator for a better listening and immersive experience.

Some Bright Nowhere is a story I thought I would love, but the deeper I read, the more torn I felt about the story. Packer's writing style is strong, and although this was an emotional hard-hitter, I never shed a tear, and I couldn't completely buy in.

3.5⭐

Thank you to Harper and Ann Packer for the gifted DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Jill]

I very rarely write a review of a book I did not finish, and even rarer that I write one that is more about me than the book. But this one elicited such strong feelings in me on the portion I did read that I hope that my followers will indulge me.

The theme of the book should be, "Whose death is it anyway? Does the person who is dying get to make final choices that benefit her?" Claire is dying after a 40 year marriage with Eliot, a marriage that produced two grown children. But now that the end of her life is near, she chooses to have her two best female friends there for her rather than her well-meaning but imperfect husband.

On some level, I get it. My husband is a good man, but I can only shake my head thinking of him at my death bed if he were to outlive me. I can visualize him shifting from foot to foot and telling me "everything will be fine", or playing old Rolling Stones tunes in an effort to cheer me up, or talking to me about current events or our dog's latest antics, or doing anything but addressing the elephant in the room.

My sister, who happens to be my best friend, on the other hand, would make me laugh out loud. She and I, both non-believers, would joke about my father turning to my mom and saying, "Hurry, lock those pearly gates--I think Jill is trying to get in" or "If there really IS a heaven, make sure you order us some blueberry pancakes when it's my turn to join you." We love each other like only sisters can and I know she'd do everything just right during my final days.

But my sister is a strong and resilient woman and she will go home to her husband and loving children and she will grieve mightily and forever, but she will be okay. My husband may not be. For decades, we have been there for each other. We have loved strongly and at times, fought strongly. At times I've felt like the luckiest woman in the world and at times I've wanted to strangle him. He did not have an easy childhood and was divorced when I met him -- and I know that my love has turned his life around. I had a couple of Bad Boys in my past and didn't trust easily.

But through the years, we have built so many warm memories that I can barely count them. We've never, ever seriously wanted to quit each other although we've come close a time or two. After decades, he has earned the right to be by my side during my final moments and I would never deprive him of his right to be there. I can't imagine asking him to leave the house so my sister could tend to me because that is a selfish act and even as death approaches, I do not have the right to hurt him so egregiously. I also know this: during my final moments, the last face I want to see before I close my eyes is his. We took a vow to be together in good times and bad.

In an age of "it's all about me", I could not continue reading this book. I am heart-weary of all the selfishness in this world. Eliot was there for Claire during nine years as she navigated her illness. Saying, "I still love you but..." is not what he, or any of us who truly love, deserve.

[Louis Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars, rounded up to 4. It's difficult to recommend this book because the truth is, it's pretty depressing, centering on a wife dying from cancer and the main couple's last days. The husband is forced to face many hard truths, and thus, so are we. But the book kept me engaged the whole way through, and many books don't, so I have to give this author a lot of credit for that. So, if you understand going in that this is not a happy story, but still a life-affirming one, you may like this book, like I came to.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 1 out of 5]

[1.5]

This novel suffers from a lack of personality and nuance, imho. I bought it because I always wanted to read an AnnPacker book, and Oprah bestowed it as a stand-out selection, and her recommendations tend to be strong. Well, after the first potentially weighty plot point, the story sputtered. Eliot’s dying wife, Claire, would prefer he move out and let her two best girlfriends move in while she goes through her terminal phase. There’s a lot of tedious daily activities, but they aren’t that interesting. This sounds like a book full of gravitas, but it was a sizable snooze to me.

I don’t feel like Packer made the best use of her own material, her storyline. It meanders here and there, such as Eliot’s love of cooking and his dinner club group. His friends all seemed banal, as do Claire’s two friends, Michelle and Holly. It’s a story of loss and redemption, but it didn’t bring anything new to the table beyond the basic plot. In fact, the same story could have been told without Claire’s request to Eliot.

I try to find commendation, even in books I dislike, but what a challenge in SBN. The prose is accessible, but pedestrian. Unfortunately, it is dull, flat, and unnecessary. I don’t see the point, and the ending didn’t restore the withering narrative. I don’t get it, maybe I missed the emotional impact. It reads more like the author was reaching for a unicorn idea but it didn’t land or take off.

I admit to reading the first half, then skimming most of the second half (without missing any details), and then I read the last 40 pages closely. Nothing touched my heart—Some Bright Nowhere didn’t go anywhere for me. Most of the characters seemed like unpoetic flops in life, defeated and myopic. However, I recommend reading other Goodreads’ reviews from people who connected with this novel. I don’t claim to be the last word.

[Carla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this was a huge miss for me. When I read the synopsis - a long-married couple navigating end-of-life illness - I was interested. As some of you may know, I am very familiar with this scenario as I was a primary caregiver to my mama as she lost her battle with cancer, and then my two maternal grandparents as well. These kinds of stories are not triggering to me…generally, I find them comforting because of their familiarity.

This book had nothing relatable to me and Claire’s experience didn’t mirror my mom’s at all. In fact, they were polar opposites. I personally think Packer got a lot wrong about the end-of-life experience, though I do recognize that everybody’s journey is very different.

Above all, I found every single character in this book unlikable. Claire was selfish and uncaring. Eliot was weak and pathetic. And her two friends were secretive and manipulative. I should have heeded a friend’s advice to skip this one…it just wasn’t the book for me.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a widow, psychologist and grief counselor, I had an interest in this book and its story line. I found some of it compelling. But as it progressed the miscommunication between spouses and the interference of “friends” became unbelievable. Can two people who have purportedly loved each other for decades be so dense and such bad communicators, especially in life ending scenarios? It doesn’t fit what I know, on any level.

The writing is okay, plot/story not believable.

[Jude (HeyJudeReads) Fricano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This raw and tender story of marriage, illness, friendship, regret, sacrifice and love is amazing. So many conflicting emotions as we move through the story of Eliot and Claire's nearly forty year marriage. Her cancer, his process of allowing her wishes and processing is own feelings of loss, regret and frustration. Amazingly written, heartfelt and agonizing, Some Bright Nowhere packs an emotional punch.

[Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can’t fault Packer’s writing, but I really, really disliked the selfish, childish women in this book. Sending a shout-out and a whole lot of love to all who have served as end-of-life caretakers to a loved one, especially a spouse. This is a story that just irritated me from start to finish because I cannot conceive of such cavalier treatment of a life partner.

Sorry, not sorry.

[Shantha (ShanthasBookEra) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars "The bestselling, beloved author returns with her first novel in over a decade, an intimate and profoundly moving look at a long marriage and the ways in which a startling request can change a couple’s understanding of who they are, together and apart."

Claire and Eliot have been married for almost forty years. Eight years earlier, Claire is diagnosed with an illness and now makes a last request that breaks Eliot's heart and causes him to wonder how well he really knows his wife's deepest desires. We see and feel all of Eliot's emotions.

This book about marriage, family, friendship, and dying is intimate, poignant, honest, raw and visceral. I felt all of the emotions of the characters and empathy for them. The process of dying is not a pleasant topic to address and Ann Packer addresses it with beautiful, evocative prose. This is an extraordinary book about the the heart of a marriage and the loss of a spouse.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper and Ann Packer for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Laura Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on January 13th, 2026.

I can’t say this is a happy or uplifting book, but it is a strong, powerful, complex, and very, very real book about a strong marriage and the intricacies of how it weathers the derailers of life. On page two, Eliot and Claire say goodbye to the oncologist who has treated her breast cancer for nine years. The end is near and there is nothing more that he can do. The book takes us from this point until the end, actually, has been reached. But while I think we all feel as though we’ve read this “story” a million times, I found *this* version quite different.

This story is told from Eliot’s perspective. After a surprising, and somewhat heartbreaking, last request, we see Eliot’s struggle with isolation, communication, understanding, and retrospective introspection. While it is easy to read and make judgements about what people think, say, and do, I don’t think that is really the point. This is life and a marriage and a family and a circle of friends, and there is no “correct” behavior, no hard and fast guidelines to what is right. But it is all exquisitely detailed — the conflicting thoughts, the desires, the dears, the selfishness and simultaneous generosity. I’m not surprised by the quality of the writing (this book could not have been an easy thing to pull off) because it is Ann Packer — I’m pretty sure I’ve read and loved all of her books. Hard to read such a story without having a heavy heart, but it relates to a part of life that we will all experience in one way or another. The depth of insight was worth the trip.

[Bonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some Bright Nowhere is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant novel about love, loss, and the quiet complexities of a long marriage. Ann Packer returns after more than a decade with a story that feels both intimate and universal, a portrait of two people facing the inevitable, and the way one shocking request reframes everything they thought they knew about each other.

Packer’s writing is as graceful and precise as ever. She captures the rhythms of a decades-long relationship with real honesty, including the small kindnesses, the familiar irritations, the enduring affection that deepens even as the body and spirit begin to fade. Eliot’s voice, in particular, is rendered with empathy and depth. His reflections on caregiving, love, and identity feel heartbreakingly true to life.

The novel’s pace is quiet, even meditative, which suits the subject matter but may feel slow to some readers. And while Claire’s “startling request” drives much of the emotional tension, it’s handled with restraint rather than melodrama and might be more an exploration of what love demands of us than a shocking twist. I really disliked Claire and her coven of friends and didn't understand what she wanted in her final days. Maybe I didn't understand her reasoning because I've been lucky enough not to be facing the end of my life, but I mainly felt sorry for her poor husband Eliot.

Ultimately, Some Bright Nowhere is a tender, thoughtful look at what it means to honor another person’s autonomy and to keep loving when love becomes hardest. Fans of Packer’s earlier work, like The Dive from Clausen’s Pier, will recognize her gift for emotional clarity and moral complexity. A moving, quietly powerful return from a writer who understands the human heart. Three and a half stars rounded up.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on November 11, 2025.

[Tina Humphrey Boogren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a tough read and even though I was tempted to stop a few times, because I couldn’t stand Claire, I kept going because I trust this author so much. Choosing to tell this story from the husband’s POV was a bold choice and made the book unbearable in the most human way.

[Leslie - Shobizreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I listened to the audiobook of this one. It’s narrated by one of my favs, Will Damaron.

This story is about a couple m, Eliot and Claire who have been married, raised their kids and been living through her cancer diagnosis the last 8 years. The story picks up when she is entering hospice.

This is an incredibly difficult experience but wow - I could not understand the way they treated each other, their friendships or their supposedly decent marriage based on this snapshot. Maybe that was the point?

The characters are unlikeable and I was infuriated by them throughout. Just heartbroken imagining real people behaving this way.

This was not a winner for me.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a caregiver for a spouse with cancer the past 2 years, I was annoyed by both the main characters - a little less so with the husband. The plot seems to be driven to get a reaction out of the reader instead of immersing you into their character arc. A book about cancer that doesn’t make me cry or tear up is a strong indicator that I didn’t connect with it.

Still thinking about the improbability in the IKEA Maine part of the story. Never resonated with me.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @harperbooks and @netgalley for the #gifted book.

What do we owe the people we love most? What happens when their final wish isn’t something we can bear to give?

Ann Packer’s Some Bright Nowhere is a quiet gut punch of a novel, piercing in its honesty. Eliot and Claire have been married nearly forty years. They’ve built a good life: two grown kids, a long marriage marked by humor and steadiness, and the kind of love that comes from choosing each other over and over again. But now, eight years after Claire’s cancer diagnosis, the end is close. Eliot has settled into the role of caregiver, tender and dutiful, until Claire makes one last, devastating request that shakes everything he thought he knew about love, loyalty, and letting go.

I can’t call this a happy book, it’s not. But it’s a beautiful one. Thoughtful, restrained, deeply human. Told entirely through Eliot’s eyes, it captures the small, conflicting truths of a long marriage: the selfishness inside devotion, the tenderness inside resentment, the quiet ache of knowing time is running out.

It’s the kind of novel that reminds you how complicated real love is, how much it asks of us, and how much it gives back. I closed it with a heavy heart but also a sense of awe. Ann Packer doesn’t miss.

[Enita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know how to feel about this. From the synopsis, I was expecting so much more. This just kind of fell flat.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some Bright Nowhere is a novel about all the things that matter in life: marriage, family, friendship, love, and death. This would be great book club selection as the central piece of the plot would lend itself to a very lively discussion. Something I enjoy about Ann Packer’s writing is that she presents her ethical dilemmas without being heavy-handed in the delivery.

I read this in a day and thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters are complicated and at times insufferable but such is the human experience. Death complicates everything in this narrative, as it does in real life.

[O'Dell (Just Read it Already) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

I picked this one up, hoping for the kind of book that breaks your heart and then gently puts it back together again. I was in the mood for something emotional and introspective, something that would leave me thinking about love, loss, and the quiet ways people drift apart. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver that for me.

The story follows Eliot and Claire, a couple married for nearly forty years. Claire is dying after a long battle with cancer, and Eliot has devoted himself completely to caring for her. But when Claire makes a final, shocking request, it forces Eliot to confront everything he thought he knew about their relationship.

It’s a beautiful premise, and Packer’s writing is gorgeous, but the emotional impact didn’t land for me. The story is told entirely from Eliot’s point of view, which means we never really understand Claire’s choices. Her motivations stay hidden, and that made it hard to feel truly connected to what was happening. Eliot’s confusion and heartbreak are palpable, but hearing only his side wasn't enough. I found myself wishing the book had given Claire a voice of her own. Without it, the story felt a little hollow. I wanted to be wrecked by this book, but instead, I finished it feeling detached.

That said, it’s still beautifully written, and I can see it resonating with readers who enjoy quiet, introspective family dramas about marriage and grief. It just wasn’t the emotional knockout I was hoping for.

[Marianne Marino · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very difficult read for anyone who has been touched by the life of someone with cancer. I had to finish this book. It was incredibly sad as one would expect.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my mini-review HERE.

[Karla Alvarado · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where do I begin? Honestly, I've read books by Indie authors much more developed and plotted out than this one. The ending felt like an incomplete sentence. I was like...that's it? The characters were not really fleshed out. I did not feel sorry for Claire one bit. She was just as manipulative as Michelle and Holly and my goodness, what a disrespectful and ungrateful woman. Honestly, just wanted her to go so poor Eliot could finally go on. I have no idea why he loved her because she was pitiful, manipulative, ungrateful and petty. Yeah, I know she's dying but I felt absolutely no empathy for her. I agree that Eliot's character needed to be developed more. I actually rooted for him when he finally showed some anger. Those women were horrible to him. HORRIBLE. And his son...wow! what a ungrateful turd also. How could he be so mean to his father after what he saw he was going through?

I would have been happy if the characters learned something from the experience, but no one learned a thing. Again, this could have been so much better, but I was just disappointed. I think this book is just getting traction because Oprah liked it and I must say...with this book, her taste is really questionable.

[Mary Lins · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Some Bright Nowhere”, by Ann Packer, is told from the viewpoint of sixty-something Eliot, whose wife Claire, is dying of cancer. She has decided to discontinue treatment and has been told she has “three to six months”.

Over the best part of a decade, Eliot has taken on the role of Clarie’s caregiver, and plans to do so until the end, but Claire makes a strange request of Eliot and I confess I didn’t understand it, nor did I think it was particularly believable.

Nevertheless, the novel held my interest throughout. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ann Packer is a master at delving into relationship and emotional nuances. The premise of this book is quite rough. A woman in her sixties has battled of cancer for eight years, and there is no more treatment. She asks her husband to move out of the house, so her two best friends can move in and tend to her while she dies. The book explores her final stage of life and how her decision impacts her children, her husband, her best friends and herself. I cannot wait to talk about this book!

[Jamie Johnson Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad, raw, real

[Lacey Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great expectations unmet

I read this book based on celebrity plugs and industry (book) enthusiasts. I was really disappointed. I love a good tear jerker (this wasn’t it), complex characters (all unlikeable and predictable), a rising wave of emotion to a shattering but fulfilling climax (definitely not that). The entire plot base was centered on a unique idea, but the reasoning behind the idea/decision never did make sense. I struggled to connect with at least the two main characters but could never understand their motives, actions or the marriage itself. It’s a sad story, and it could have been incredibly powerful, difficult to read but ultimately worth the emotional toll…this wasn’t.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

I binge read this-I love Ann Packer-she writes about broken or selfish or complicated people and does it very well. This was enjoyable even though it isn’t a happy story.

[Joan Dennehy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh these people!!! Claire and Eliot. I tried liking them - tried to have empathy - but....
Eliot is unable to live in the unknown of WHEN Claire will die. Claire cuts Eliot out of the waiting and surrounds herself with her girlfriends. What a mess.
Journeying with the dying is a privilege. No matter what it looks like.

[Janet Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest Oprah pick. This is a well written story of the final days of a terminally ill woman and her wishes for those days. She is surrounded by family and friends that love her, but as she executes her wishes, hurts some of those closest to her. Told primarily from the husband’s perspective, is heart breaking. Couldn’t help thinking about those who are not as blessed and die alone or trying to make amends—vs this character who is causing pain by her actions.

[Lynn Kilb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have nothing but good things to say about the actual writing inside this book; Ann Packer is skilled and it shows. The story is compelling. Not like, "This is so realistic, it's hard to look away" compelling; but like, "this cannot seriously be real" compelling.

Dying is messy. People are mess-makers. Marriage is imperfect. But the cast of characters here shows a stunning lack of humanity given the circumstances. It's provocative that the dying character is not sympathetic, is, in fact, an antagonist. But that does not make the story easier to enjoy or more believable.

Even if the reader buys the premise here and can find sympathy with the dying character, the rest is simply too much to swallow.

Perhaps I am still in the anger stage of my grief.

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took my breath away