Whistler by Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett always does a good job of creating memorable characters and interesting situations. In Whistler, she also pulled off the feat of making the story memorable. I won't forget Daphne, Jonathan, and Eddie any time soon.

It's been over 40 years since Daphne has seen her former stepfather, Eddie, but when she and her husband, Jonathan, encounter him in a museum, the past falls away as they become reacquainted. Eddie was in Daphne's life for a little more than a year, but it was a memorable one: an instant bonding and an accident that tore them apart. Now they have a second chance, and they both intend to make up for lost years.

This is a moving story about choices made and the unforeseen situations that sever relationships. It is full of hope as Daphne begins to overcome the past and integrate Eddie into her life. There are flashbacks to the accident that changed both of their lives. Beautifully written, Whistler is a book I couldn't put down. 

5/5 stars.

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Country People by Daniel Mason

 

Daniel Mason has once again created wonderful characters who come to life as we watch them grow and adapt to a new environment. Mason's last book, North Woods, was one of my favorites in 2025, and this one will rank up there among my favorites in 2026.

Miles, his wife Kate, and their two children relocate from an urban California city to a small college town in rural Vermont when Kate gets a one-year visiting professorship. Miles, a bit of a dreamer, is a stay-at-home dad, ostensibly working on his PhD dissertation. At age forty-five, after eleven different dissertation topic attempts, he is now drawn to Russian folktales as a sure-fire topic. Alas, he is soon diverted from his task by a group of local characters who convince him that the earth is hollow and that there is a cave leading to an underground world — if only they could find it. Miles soon comes to believe there may be some truth to the local legend and enthusiastically joins the hunt for it.

As the months pass and the seasons change, the family gradually settles into their new life, trying to shed their urban ways and become Country People. 

This is a study in family dynamics and the lengths people will go to "fit in." I loved the Hollow Earth characters, who are so dedicated to their mission that they don't see its absurdity. Miles is a big-hearted character who tilts at windmills. Although North Woods is still my favorite Daniel Mason book, this, in its own quirky way, is also very good. 

4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is July 7, 2026.

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The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

 I liked Dave's last book, The Last Thing He Told Me. It was a tightly plotted suspense thriller that kept me turning pages. I expected more of the same with The Night We Lost Him, but while it is a good story, it isn't nearly as suspenseful nor a thriller. It's more of a family drama.

We know that Liam Noone was thrown off a cliff, but the police ruled it an accidental death. His son Sam and Sam's step-sister Nora decide to look into the death - what they find are family secrets and lies spanning decades. The more they dig, the more they discover that they never really knew their father, and they even begin to question past and present relationships.

I was expecting a different book - something more suspenseful than what I got. Dave does an excellent job of slowly revealing Liam's secrets. Unfortunately, it is a little too slow, and the action sometimes dragged. I was surprised at the ending and thought it was a good twist. I recommend this book; just be aware that, in my opinion, it is not a thriller. 

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and S&S/Marysue Rucci Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is September 17, 2024.

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