Ann Patchett’s Whistler opens with its protagonist, 53-year-old Daphne Zabriskie, running into her former stepfather on a random Friday. Daphne bursts into tears, and Eddie Triplett – the stepfather in question – decides he needs a drink before noon. The past is a roomTo talk about such a story, let us first address what it is not. But Daphne’s capacity to love is the luminous core of the novel, and it is contagious. And she makes every effort to be a good daughter to Eddie when he returns, even after being surprised by his past.