Evacuees sleep in cots on Aug. 19 at the shelter set up at the River Center arena in Baton Rouge, La., as the area deals with the record flooding. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

Eddie Meltzer says his experiences following the Orlando nightclub massacre inspired him "to help people in a different way." He now plans to become a grief counselor. Courtesy Of Eddie Meltzer hide caption

Pura Belpré became the first Puerto Rican librarian at the New York Public Library in 1921. She's shown above leading a story hour in the 1930s. New York Public Library hide caption

Containers are stacked at the Hanjin Incheon Container Terminal on Sept. 3 in Seoul. South Korea's Hanjin Shipping company declared bankruptcy Aug. 31. Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

American Margaux Isaksen smiles during the women's fencing in the Modern Pentathlon on Aug. 19 at the Rio Olympics. She finished fourth in London in 2012 and 20th in Rio. "It makes you feel sort of worthless," Isaksen says of her performance. She calls this current period a "post-Olympic depression." Rob Carr/Getty Images hide caption

Ann Patchett is also the author of several other novels, including Bel Canto, Run and State of Wonder. She is the co-owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tenn. Heidi Ross/HarperCollins hide caption