Whistler

I didn't want this book to end; after reading the last page, I wanted to read it again. Ann Patchett is a master storyteller, and she delivers a beautiful, insightful story about love and family with all its flawed complexity.

The story opens with Daphne and her husband running into her stepfather, Eddie, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She hasn't seen him in years, as her mother divorced him when she was nine. But Eddie was a central figure in her life for a brief but formative time in her childhood, and she loved him dearly. So they begin again with a new relationship.

I loved the characters in this story and their nuanced relationships with one another. They felt authentic and loving as they navigated their way toward coming to terms with their family's past and present dynamics. This story quietly sneaks up on you and evokes a warm feeling of love. This would make a fantastic book club pick.