★★★★★ 5
Wonderful, Gripping, Suspenseful, and Miraculous!
Format: Hardcover
The first thing I thought when I started reading Ann Patchett’s new novel, “Whistler” was: “Oh no, this is SO GOOD it’s going to go by too quickly!” I was right, and the only remedy to that is to read it again – it’s that great.
Patchett has created a matryoshka doll of a novel with a story inside of a story inside of story, and they are ALL wonderful, gripping, suspenseful, and miraculous!
The inciting incident that sets off the story takes place in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. As Daphne and her husband Jonathan take in the art, Jonathan notices that they are being followed by an older man who turns out the be Daphne’s former stepfather, Eddie, whom she hasn’t seen in 44 years (since she was nine) but who was pivotal in how her life unfolded.
Through the narrative, Daphne, and her sister Leda, relive long forgotten memories from their brief but impactful time with Eddie, now understanding what they couldn’t as children.
Patchett has written about blended families, divorce, and stepparenting before, in her wonderful 2016 novel “Commonwealth”, and in some of the personal essays about her own childhood. So, she knows what she’s talking about!
Patchett beautifully evokes childhood nostalgia and skillfully portrays the way the past can sometimes seem more immediate than the present, highlighting reconnection, reconciliation, and grace.
Thank you yet again, Ann; this was just the book I needed right now!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2026
