Whistler, Ann Patchett (Review by Kristin Kurek)

Rating: 5.0/5 Stars

Get your reading blanket and a cup of tea ready. Snuggle into your reading nook. You will finish this book in one sitting.

Daphne Fuller serendipitously reconnects with her former stepfather, Eddie Triplett, while visiting the Met. While Eddie and Daphne’s mother were only married for about a year when Daphne was 9 years old, Daphne developed a great love and respect for her stepfather. They had not seen each other in more that 40 years and quickly rekindle their loving relationship.

Daphne confronts her childhood memories and realizes how meaningful her brief relationship with Eddie was. She unpacks her complicated feelings about her formative years. Daphne reassesses the relationships in her life through the lens of Eddie. She is able to reexamine her relationship with her father, mother, sister, husband, and students.

This novel is beautifully written. Ann Patchett commands the English language and wields words so effectively that I can feel her writing in my soul. This novel less about occurring events and more about the deep reexamination of the small, seemingly inconsequential events that form a life. Ann Patchett has beautifully crafted a book that made me feel longing for people that I have never met and places that I have never been. She delicately convinces the reader that everlasting love is made in the small choices. Life is a tapestry of perfection and imperfection, joy and pain. The human experience is an amalgamation of formative moments and individual choices. I finished this book with a raw and aching need for community and companionship. Whistler has inspired me to continue showing up for the people in my life. This book is a gift!