Whistler

In Patchett’s graceful latest, 53-year-old Daphne reunites with a man who once loomed large in her world: her former stepfather Eddie, who was briefly married to her mother when Daphne was nine. Eddie vanished from her life after the two were in a terrible car wreck and Daphne never understood why. The joyful chance reunion gives them an opportunity to make up for lost time, and for Daphne to finally make sense of the past. This wistful tale explores the agony of impossible choices, the limits of love, and how we make peace with our loved ones. Set in the world of publishing and steeped in books and art, it’s a shoe-in for my Best Books of 2026.