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4.5 

Whistler

By Ann Patchett
Whistler by Ann Patchett digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.

When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again, time falls away; while their relationship was brief, it had a profound impact on them both, and now that they are reunited, they have no intention of ever being separated again.

Whistler is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. It’s a story about bravery, memory, the often small yet consequential moments that define our lives, and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for us all. Beautiful in its simplicity, it is ultimately about how love endures, and how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything.

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Whistler Reviews

4.5
“Ann Patchett is an "always-read" author for me so when I had a chance to read the ARC of her upcoming novel I dove in immediately. I loved it. When Daphne and her husband notice an older man following them at the Met museum, they're surprised to learn it's her lost-lost stepfather, Eddie (her mother's second of three husbands) and we gradually come to understand, alongside Daphne, the details of the incident when she was nine that led to his departure. This beautiful novel celebrates the power of story and connection, and explores the endurance of love and how small moments often lead to huge trajectory changes, with potential of both tragic and beautiful outcomes.”

About Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women's Prize for Fiction in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books.

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