I was over a third of the way through this book and asking myself, what’s with the horse on the cover? My God, Ann Patchett is an incredibly clever writer. I’m a huge fan: The Dutch House, Tom Lake, State of Wonder are all big favourites of mine. Whistler is the best of all of them. Don’t worry about the horse. The horse will come back.
I liked our narrator, Daphne, straight away. Ann Patchett does good people well. Daphne’s a teacher, very well-read, married to an older man (supportive of each other, intellectually matched, loving) and the story opens with them in the Met in New York: ‘Old guy,’ my husband said in a low voice, his lips touching my ear. ‘Near the exit sign.‘
This is a joke with them, as Daphne seems to attract older men. But the man turns into Eddie, who was once married to Daphne’s mother. He was a father figure in her young life for only a few years, but when reunited they both realise how much they have been missing each other.
We learn that Eddie and Daphne’s mum split after a car spun off the road and nearly killed both step-father and child. Daphne was nine. She never really talked to anyone about the accident and when Eddie left, she and her sister didn’t question their mother, never chased him up. Childhood moved on, and Eddie floated off in its wake.
We come back to the car accident a few times, it’s the hook that keeps you reading under the other stories: about girls with three fathers, about writing and editing, about love that binds and love that unravels, about ‘Memory, loss, love, anger, all the usual suspects.’ Daphne’s sister, Leda, is a psychologist but a very gentle one who does no more than nudge her sister into reflection.
I mentioned before that Patchett does good people well and I really love that in her writing. She has no need to invent fucked up goodies and baddies to push reader’s buttons. People generally try to do their best in all her books. It doesn’t prevent misunderstandings, betrayals, narcissism, poor choices, bad or compulsive behaviour. It gives us flawed but believable people trying to work things out. I find the capacity to empathise with her characters hugely enhanced by the way she gives us something to like in all of them. And a lot to like in some of them.
It goes with out saying, being Ann Patchett, that the writing is elegant and understated, with clever touches of humour and insight. The plots are well paced. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable read.
When you’ve finished and discuss it with friends all you’re going to talk about is the horse. For all the supposed light touch, it’s a haunting story.
Cristina Sanders' blog 