Review: Whistler (by Ann Patchett)

My Rating: 5 stars

As an Ann Patchett fangirl, I will read anything she writes and while I’m not a completist of her works (yet), reading all her books is on my bucket list of life goals (alongside visiting her bookstore Parnassus someday).  While I slowly work my way through Patchett’s backlist, I’m also making sure I don’t fall behind with her newer works, so I prioritized her newest release, the novel Whistler, which came out this month.  I originally got approved for an ARC copy, but due to timing issues, I ended up reading the finished version, since I of course pre-ordered a copy that landed on my doorstep last week (just in time, if you ask me). 

With Whistler, Patchett once again delivers a beautifully crafted, exquisite story that made me both laugh and cry in equal measure.  This poignant and moving novel opens with our protagonist, 53-year-old Daphne Fuller, and her husband Jonathan visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York when they notice an “old guy” who appears to be following them.  When they go to confront the guy, they discover that he is none other than Eddie Triplett, the former husband of her thrice-married mother Abigail, and the stepfather whom Daphne and her sister Leda loved more than their own biological father.  Daphne last saw Eddie forty-four years ago, when she was nine years old – they were involved in a car crash together that year which ended up changing the course of their lives.  Before they returned from the hospital, Abigail had divorced Eddie and sent him away without even allowing him to say goodbye to the stepdaughters whom he loved as though they were his own.  Devastated, Daphne buries the memories of that brief period when Eddie was in her life and moves on to live a happy existence as a schoolteacher, eventually marrying Jonathan, a now-retired hospital administrator who is seventeen years her senior, but the age difference has not stopped them from having a deep and loving relationship.  Now that they’ve been reunited, Eddie and Daphne resume their father/daughter relationship, catching each other up on their lives and meeting each other’s families and friends, determined this time to never be separated again. 

Switching between first person and close third, Patchett skillfully layers in the events of the past – specifically, the incident that changed both Eddie’s and Daphne’s lives – while telling Daphne’s story in the present.  This is done so masterfully that, to be honest, I didn’t even notice until I watched an interview that Patchett did where she mentioned it.  As always, Patchett writes perceptively about the complexities of human relationships, capturing the messiness of complicated family dynamics in a way that is both resonant and relatable.  The characters in this story were all so wonderfully rendered, I honestly loved them all, but Daphne and Eddie were definitely favorites – the way they interacted with each other was witty and fun and never failed to put a smile on my face.  I especially loved how Patchett juxtaposed the interactions that the nine-year-old Daphne had with Eddie during the car crash scenes versus their interactions once reunited as adults to highlight both characters’ growth as well as the nuances of their relationship. 

With this newest novel, Patchett continues to do what she does best – present an emotionally subtle story with endearing yet far from perfect characters who navigate the vicissitudes of life with grace and clarity.  Reminiscent of Patchett’s previous two novels, Tom Lake and The Dutch House (both of which I loved), Whistler is written in a wistful yet hopeful tone – in addition, there are also similarities in its focus on characters who are perfectly content with basking in the quiet enjoyment of being in the company of people they love.  There are not many authors out there who are able to take a simple premise such as this one and craft a narrative that is both incredibly rich (yet not overwhelming) as well as profoundly insightful.  Ann Patchett is, without a doubt, a national treasure and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!

Review: This is the Story of a Happy Marriage (by Ann Patchett)

My Rating: 5 stars

Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors, so it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that I will pretty much read anything she writes.  After finishing Tom Lake back in 2023, I’ve been slowly working my way through Patchett’s backlist and recently finished her 2013 essay collection, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, which I listened to on audio – a wonderful experience in and of itself, since she narrates the audiobook herself. 

Despite what the title says, this collection of essays actually covers a variety of topics – yes, her marriage to Karl is talked about at length, but there are also essays about everything from her relationship with her grandmother, to her friendship with the late Lucy Grealy and the reception of the book she wrote about her (Truth and Beauty), to her closeness with one of the nuns who had taught her in school.  There are also essays about her dog, about how she came to co-own the bookshop Parnassus in Nashville, about her experience “training” in the police academy so she could write about it (her father is a retired LAPD officer), as well as the introduction she wrote as the editor of the 2006 volume of The Best American Short Stories (among many other essays).  Though I loved all of the essays in this collection, if I had to pick a favorite, it would definitely be “The Getaway Car,” which is Patchett’s manifesto about writing – the tips that she gives in this brilliant essay are absolutely invaluable, which also makes this a must-read for all writers, whether aspiring or seasoned.

One thing to note -- this is a compilation of essays that Patchett wrote for various publications over the years, but they are not in chronological order, so technically you can skip around if you want, especially if you already read a particular essay when it was first published (though for me, I still read the collection straight through from beginning to end, regardless of whether I had read an essay previously or not).  With that said, I would actually advocate for reading all of the essays in this collection due to the multifaceted nature of the essays, which, combined as a whole, provides a fascinating glimpse into Patchett’s world and especially helps those of us who are fans of her work better understand who she is not just as a writer, but also as a person.

This is a collection I absolutely recommend, whether you’re an occasional reader of Patchett’s work or a superfan like me – and of course, if you decide to pick this up, the audiobook is definitely the way to go, as there is something about listening to Patchett narrate her own essays that elevates the reading experience.

Review: Tom Lake (by Ann Patchett)

My Rating:  5 stars

Ann Patchett has done it again!  One of my favorite authors on the planet has once again written a poignant, beautiful story, masterfully told in a way that had me hanging on to her every word from the first page to the last (and never wanting it to end).  

Told from the first person viewpoint of the main character Lara Kinnison, who lives with her husband Joe on a cherry farm in Michigan, the story weaves seamlessly between past and present as Lara tells her three grown daughters (who have returned to the farm during the pandemic to help with cherry picking) about the time she played summer stock at a theater company named Tom Lake, where she also had a brief romance with an actor named Peter Duke (who later becomes a hugely popular and famous actor).   I mention the pandemic, but please note that this is NOT a pandemic novel — instead, this is a novel about complicated family dynamics (especially the relationship between parents and their children), about love in its many iterations, about the innocence of youth, and above all else, about the complexities of human relationships.

With this novel, Patchett once again does what she is so good at — she presents an epic, luminous, profoundly perceptive story, but in a way that is subtle, exquisite, and never feels overwhelming. Patchett writes with an emotional subtlety that I absolutely love, but it was especially effective with this story, which, at its core, is an homage to Thornton Wilder's classic play Our Town. There was so much to love about this book — the gorgeous prose, the flawless writing, the endearing characters, the subtle humor, the picturesque setting, the quiet beauty of the story told in a wistful yet hopeful tone, the perfect amount of detail to establish a sense of place that made for an incredibly immersive experience, etc (and that's just scratching the surface).

In terms of the Our Town references — I had actually never read that classic, but immediately after finishing Tom Lake, I went and bought a copy of Our Town because I felt compelled to finally read it (on a recent podcast interview that Patchett did, the host said she should get a commission for all the times someone bought Our Town after reading her novel and I agree 100%!).  

Given how much I adored Patchett's newest novel, of course I recommend that everyone read it.  For me, I will read anything she writes at this point and while I wait for future new work, I will continue to slowly work my way through her backlist as I have been doing (I intend to be a completist of her work at some point).

Received ARC from Harper via NetGalley.

Review: These Precious Days (by Ann Patchett)

My Rating:  5 stars

Happy New Year!



I can't think of a better way to start off the new year than with a 5 star read, especially one written by one of my favorite authors, Ann Patchett.  I actually started Patchett's newest essay collection (published in November last year) on Christmas Eve and even though I technically could've finished it in one sitting, I decided instead to savor it over the New Year's holiday. Going into this book, I already knew it would be one I'd love and now after finishing, I can say with certainty that Patchett definitely did not disappoint — reading her essays evoked in me a roller coaster of emotions, but more importantly, the experience made me reflect on aspects of my own life and gave me food for thought on a few things.

Even though some of the essays I had actually read already back when they had been originally published in magazines and papers such as The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, etc., I still re-read every word, and in so doing, picked up one some things I had missed the first time.  The ones I hadn't read before, I learned things that I would not have known otherwise, which is the beauty of a collection such as this one where the essays run the gamut from funny to poignant and every emotion in between. 

This is also a book where the cover (or, in this case, two covers) added tremendous meaning to the content — to this point, it was fascinating to read about how the cover came about and the significance of it to this particular collection of essays.  Content-wise, I also loved the additional insights into Patchett's previous novels and story collections, which made me want to go read (and in some cases re-read) her other works.

Overall, I loved all the essays in this collection, but if I really had to choose my favorites, they would be as follows:

"Three Fathers" — This essay, in which Patchett wrote about her relationship with her father and two stepfathers, was actually published in The New Yorker last year and I had already it at that time, but I still enjoyed reading it again.  

"My Year of No Shopping" — This was a short essay, only a few pages long, yet there was a profound lesson about learning how to value the things we have.

"How to Practice" — This was another essay I had already read when it was published in The New Yorker and I remember at that time, how fascinated I was with it, mainly because I also have a lot of stuff that I don't realize I have because a lot of it is hidden (out of sight, out of mind).  Reading it a second time now was actually more meaningful because I've been in "decluttering mode" lately so the timing was perfect.

"To the Doghouse" — Omg, this was one of my favorite essays!  I love Snoopy and to learn how big a role the world's most beloved beagle had on Patchett becoming a writer, I was absolutely there for it!  

"Flight Plan" — In this essay, Patchett writes about her husband Karl's love for flying planes, but it also reveals why their relationship works so well.  So sweet!

"There Are No Children Here" — This essay especially resonated with me, as I've had many of the same encounters with people about the decision to not have children.  I love how Patchett handled the various scenarios she found herself in — it definitely made me admire her even more!

"The Nightstand" — In this essay, an unexpected chance encounter opens the floodgates for Patchett to go through some old papers that help her rediscover parts of herself that she didn't realize meant so much and how much her family inadvertently helped her come to this realization.  

"Cover Stories" — I loved learning the behind-the-scenes stories about how the covers for her books came to be! 

"These Precious Days" — This essay, about how Patchett came to form a close friendship with Tom Hanks' assistant Sooki Raphael, was essentially the backbone of the book.  I had actually read this one previously as well, yet on second reading, it felt so much more poignant (especially after reading the Epilogue to the book).

"What the American Academy of Arts and Letters Taught Me About Death" — This essay was absolutely fascinating and so learned so much about the literary world that I had no clue about.  And of course, as an avid reader, seeing so many great authors mentioned here whose works I admire was especially meaningful.

"A Day at the Beach" — The last essay in the book and also a follow up to Sooki's story  — poignant, heartfelt, and one of the most touching pieces in the book!

Review: The Dutch House (by Ann Patchett)

My Rating: 4.5 stars

I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that I’m probably one of the few people on this planet who, up until now, had never read an Ann Patchett novel.  Despite the fact that Patchett is an author I’ve wanted to read for a long time --  I’ve had most of her previous works on my TBR for quite some time and even own physical copies of several of her books -- I unfortunately have not had the opportunity to actually crack open any of them.  Of course, all that changed last week when I saw that the next book on my seemingly never-ending ARC list would be Patchett’s newly released eighth novel The Dutch House (published in September 2019) – I was thrilled that I would finally be able to experience one of her works for myself, though at the same time, that also meant I would be going into this one with relatively high expectations.  Luckily, this one ended up being a wonderful read, even better than I expected, which honestly doesn’t happen often.

The story is narrated entirely from the perspective of Danny Conroy, who is only a boy of 8 years old when the story opens.  His sister Maeve, herself only a teenager at 15 years old, took Danny under her care after their mother Elna left them 5 years ago.  Both children live in the Dutch House, a see-through glass mansion of sorts that their father Cyril, a real estate developer, had bought as a surprise gift for their mother.  Cyril is a distant father who is always consumed with his work and aside from providing his children with the necessities  — a cook to prepare food for them to eat, a housekeeper to tend to the household duties, a nanny to tend to their day-to-day needs — he could never be bothered with much else beyond that.  But Maeve and Danny had each other to lean on and along with the love of their housekeeper and cook (sisters Sandy and Jocelyn who had been hired by their mother back in the day), they were relatively happy and content with their lives.  All that changes however when Cyril decides to marry a young woman named Andrea, who moves into the Dutch House with her 2 daughters in tow — the profound impact that this decision ends up having on Danny’s and Maeve’s futures becomes the basis upon which the entire story revolves.

This story is billed as a family saga spanning 5 decades, which initially made me think that it would be so epic in scope that it would take a longer time to read, but in actuality, I devoured this one, not wanting to put it down once I started.  Patchett is a masterful storyteller and her writing here absolutely captivates — I was hooked from the very first page, not just to the story but also to the characters.  It’s extremely rare for me to already like and connect with a story’s characters within the first few chapters, but that’s exactly what happened with Danny and Maeve — two characters I loved from the beginning and who continued to grow more endearing as the story progressed.  While all of Patchett’s characters in here were nuanced and well-developed (even most of the minor characters), what made me gravitate to Danny and Maeve the most was the unshakable bond that these two siblings shared throughout their lives – a bond that continued to exist despite everything that happens, no matter how many times their relationship is put to the test.  Needless to say, I was genuinely moved by their relationship. 

Speaking of characters, of course the Dutch House itself also existed as a “character” central to the story, however the beauty here is that, even though its presence was continually felt throughout the story, it never once overtook the other characters.  Despite the house’s significance to the plot, it was quite clear from beginning to end that the story itself belonged to Maeve and Danny.  In this regard, the house serves as a connection to their past and while this past is what shapes who they eventually grow up to become as adults, it is also how they deal with this past that forms the crux of their story.  Here, again, the brilliance of Patchett’s writing comes into play, as the transitions between past and present throughout the book were seamless – no easy feat given the extensive timeline that the story covered plus the fact that the plot jumped around from one situation to the next in no particular order.

Up until the last few chapters, this actually had all the makings of a 5-star read for me – the reason I eventually decided on 4.5 stars was mainly because I wasn’t fond of the ending and also didn’t like how a few plot points played out in the lasts few chapters.  Though I must admit that I also had some issues with the character of Elna Conroy (Danny and Maeve’s mother) – things that made her character come across too unrealistic for me and made it difficult for me to wholeheartedly accept some of the situations that happen because of it.  This small complaint aside, I still consider this book a masterpiece – not quite perfect, but a masterpiece nonetheless.  While I eagerly wait to see what Patchett has in store for us next, there’s no doubt that I will be exploring her backlist of previous works very, very soon!

Received ARC from Harper via Edelweiss.