Whistler
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4.2 • 414 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
READ BY THE AUTHOR.
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Ann Patchett has a rare gift for writing intimate novels filled with the ordinary conversations and small moments that somehow add up to entire lives. A chance encounter reconnects fiftysomething prep-school English teacher Daphne Fuller with Eddie Triplett, the stepfather she hasn’t seen since childhood but has never forgotten. As Daphne and Eddie reestablish their relationship, Patchett reveals the complicated family dynamics that shaped Eddie’s brief marriage to Daphne’s mother, as well as the incident that colored the years afterward. The story unfolds with a breezy pace and dry observational wit (Daphne’s conversations with her psychologist sister about their mom are priceless), but it’s also warm and emotional without ever tipping into sentimentality. Whistler is a tender exploration of the people whose presence in our lives, however brief, make us who we are.
Customer Reviews
Fantastic story- painful narration
The story itself was fantastic—intriguing, intriguing, and engaging enough that I actually looked forward to my 45-minute commute so I could find out what happened next. The writing kept me hooked from beginning to end.
Unfortunately, the narration was extremely difficult to listen to. The delivery felt very robotic and unnatural, and there were several times I seriously considered giving up on the audiobook because of it. Thankfully, the story was good enough to keep me going.
This is a talented writer and a great story, but I really wish the audiobook had been narrated by a professional voice actor. With the right narrator, this easily could have been a five-star audiobook for me.
Whistler
What a marvelous book!
“Thank you!, Ann Patchett!”
This book and her previous one, “Tom Lake” are my favorite books that I read this year so far.
Gentle and relentless
Audiobook was read by the author which added a further compelling layer to this earnest, artful and truthful tale. Lovely