Whistler
by Ann Patchett
read by the Author
Harper, 2026. 10 hours, 45 minutes.
Review written July 1, 2026, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review
Whistler is another rich, warm tapestry of a novel from genius author Ann Patchett.
This one begins when Daphne’s husband notices that a man is following them in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The stranger turns out to be Eddie Triplett – her former stepfather. They haven’t seen each other in 44 years, since Daphne was nine years old.
Of the three men her mother married, Eddie was Daphne’s favorite. Her mother had told Daphne that he had to leave because he’d endangered her life in the car accident that happened shortly before she sent him away. Now as an adult, Daphne learns about the real reasons. And she has a lot of unpacking to do.
The story of that car accident from 44 years ago weaves through the book. While her sister was in the hospital with appendicitis and their mother was by her side, Eddie drove Daphne up to a closed-for-the-winter blackberry farm to see the stars – and drove off the side of the hill. Eddie was injured and couldn’t get out, and they spent significant time talking together in the toppled car. Eddie was an editor and told Daphne a story of a book proposal he’d just read where a woman was in an accident and was saved when her horse, Whistler, came back for her.
But the book isn’t simply about that long-ago car accident. It’s also about the present, about reconnecting while making new sense of the past. And above all, it’s about the joy of reuniting with a beloved father figure.
A richly written and evocative book about joy and love. Can I give a stronger recommendation?
Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Fiction/whistler.html
Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.
Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
Subscribe for more reviews and talk about books.
Join the conversation: What did you think of this book?