Whistler by Ann Parchett

Monday, June 22, 2026--San Antonio

Whistler by Ann Parchett is a slow-reveal novel that is one of the big hits of 2026.  It centers around an accident that took place about 40 years earlier and the effect it had on the lives of the members of the family of the two persons in the accident at that time and what happened to all the members of the family over time since then.  It also deals with the one of the common complications of family life back in the 70s and 80s--about how two gay men married women to try to "hide" their secret from society that wouldn't accept them as they were and the effects on them and others because of it.  It deals with two sisters who didn't feel totally accepted and integrated in the new family their mother created with a new husband and the two sons they had in that family.  It deals with how that distance between those two sisters and their family created a type of independence that in the long run protected them emotionally in various ways in life.  It deals with the loss that is felt when a beloved person disappears from one's life and how that siutation is handled.  It deals with the bravery and intelligence of a girl of only 7 years old who is confronted with a live-or-death situation.  It deals with wondering how one's life might have been different given a change in circumstances in the past.  It deals with the difficulties of being in love, but needing more in life.  And it deals with what happens when a loved one dies.  It deals with storytelling and the publishing of stories.  I gave the book 4 1/2 stars out of 5.