Whistler

Daphne Fuller is enjoying a pleasant afternoon at the Met with her husband, Jonathan, when an older man begins surreptitiously following them. Before long, Jonathan confronts the man, and a tense situation quickly dissolves into laughter and surprise: the man is Eddie Triplett, Daphne's former stepfather, and someone she hasn't seen or spoken to in over forty years.

Upon reuniting, Daphne bursts into tears, for she truly loved Eddie for the brief period he was part of her life. The two exchange information, and they begin to rebuild a relationship that had lain dormant for decades. Theirs was a connection forged stronger due to a shared fateful event, one that both brought the pair closer and also resulted in the dissolution of Eddie's marriage to Daphne's mother.

The small cast easily carries the novel, and Patchett builds in a bit of intrigue in the gradual reveal of the momentous event from 1980 that was the turning point in the lives of all involved. Eddie is a joy, the kind of person who lights up a room the moment he walks in, and his interactions with Daphne both as an adult and in flashbacks are touching, heartwarming, and tone-perfect.

The novel is light on plot but long on memorable connections and astute observations about life in general. I've enjoyed Patchett's previous novels, but compared to those, I believe she's at her best in this one. It's a loving portrayal of father-daughter bonds, complicated family dynamics, and the way a singular event can alter the path of one's life. It's filled with warmth and a purity of spirit that will leave readers smiling. If you're looking for a story dripping with authentically rendered characters and interactions, you will not be disappointed.