With impeccable prose, dry wit, and uncommon wisdom, Ted Thompson brings to life one family's painful disappointments and powerful resilience. The Land of Steady Habits combines Austen's shrewd mastery of domestic economics with Updike's compassion for the melancholy commuter to make something elegant, fresh, and brilliant.

With impeccable prose, dry wit, and uncommon wisdom, Ted Thompson brings to life one family's painful disappointments and powerful resilience. The Land of Steady Habits combines Austen's shrewd mastery of domestic economics with Updike's compassion for the melancholy commuter to make something elegant, fresh, and brilliant.

How strange it was that a dream, once realized, could quickly turn mundane.

I think the posture of confidence can serve you well. I'm not sure what's to be gained by sitting at your computer and beating yourself up.

Female friendship was one-tenth prevention and nine-tenths cleanup.

I think I'm someone who can prattle on a long time about something, which serves me well as a novelist, but it's the enemy when I'm writing short stories.

Novels definitely come more naturally to me. When I write short stories, it's always a fight against it expanding.