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Whistler

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Whistler

By: Ann Patchett
Narrated by: Ann Patchett
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Bloomsbury presents Whistler written and read by Ann Patchett

FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING, PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE DUTCH HOUSE AND TOM LAKE

'One of the most beloved authors of her generation'
SUNDAY TIMES
__________

When Daphne notices an older gentleman following her around the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, she doesn’t expect it to be Eddie – her former stepfather.

Married to her mother for a short time when Daphne was nine, she hasn’t seen Eddie for many years; not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives.

Meeting again now, Daphne and Eddie feel that time has fallen away. Their earlier relationship was brief but had a profound impact on both of them. Together, they consider not only their past, but the joys of the present and their commitment to face the future together.

A moving, luminous story about how family, memory and love endures, Whistler paints an intimate portrait of how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything.
__________©2026 Ann Patchett (P)2026 HarperCollins Publishers Editors Select Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction
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Critic reviews

One of the most beloved authors of her generation
Ann Patchett leads us with the intelligence, detail, wit and nuance of the greatest chroniclers of human nature and relationships. Nothing escapes her (Rachel Joyce)
Legions of her fans have been waiting for author Ann Patchett’s new novel Whistler which unlocks memories and a lifetime of secrets … One of the most critically acclaimed novelists in America today (Kirsty Wark)
An icon of American letters … Nobody’s sitting around going, ‘Wow, what we really need is another Patchett novel’, she modestly told The Guardian three years ago. In our dark and twisted times, however, some readers might feel that’s exactly what they need
Whistler is top-shelf comfort food, the literary equivalent of pricey ice-cream (Guardian, Book of the Day)
Reflective and luminous, this masterpiece is an unmissable celebration of love (Woman & Home, Book of the Month)
No-one does effortless storytelling quite like this Women’s Prize-winning author
This generous-hearted, clever and poignantly revealing tale feels another sure-fire hit. Spend a day on the couch in its warm, riveting company and you won’t regret it
A tale of secrets and lasting love, enriched by sharply drawn characters
Patchett is the rare and fortunate writer whose words resonate among friends and strangers alike… A story of improbable meetings and deepening bonds
Few writers are more adept than Patchett at delineating the collisions between present and past
Warm, wise and wryly entertaining
A quietly compelling story about the power of familial love to transcend time and blood
Stunning
A story warm with the power of connection
It’s stayed in my mind more vividly than any other Patchett novel I’ve read
One of my favourite ‘reading-as-a-balm-for-whatever-ails-you’ kind of authors... This is a deeply moving story about enduring affection
All stars
Most relevant
I’ll relisten to this and may change my score. The first time i listened to tom lake I wasn’t over impressed but reviewed it when read and heard it again. AP is a good narrator but obviously not Merryl

Story and style

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The best male character in fiction and Daphne Fuller the best female or male. A totally beautiful story about the importance of real connection and how rare and precious it is

Eddie Triplet

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I loved this story. It was so refreshing to listen to something that wasn’t sinister, (too) sad, overly dramatic, or horrific. Maybe to saccharine for some listeners, but sometimes, you just want to be told a story that makes you feel good.

Flawless!

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This book just wasn’t for me. I understood the premise, but I found the stepfather-stepdaughter scenario unsettling. If they had truly meant that much to one another, they would have stayed in touch.

The author should have chosen someone else to narrate this audiobook. I almost gave up because the narration was painfully slow. Overall, this is one of those books that gets a lot of hype but offers very little substance.

2.5/5

Don't believe the hype.

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