Whistler
by Ann Patchett
Contents
1
Overview
At the Met, Daphne’s former stepfather, Eddie Triplett, recognizes her, triggering an emotional reunion. Over lunch, Eddie’s enduring affection, career, and solitude emerge. Daphne then debriefs with her sister Leda, confronting buried guilt and acknowledging she long misrepresented their childhood car accident, which Eddie had been driving, a truth that shaped their family’s rupture.
Summary
In the Met, Jonathan alerts Daphne that an older man is watching her. After a cautious test through galleries, the man approaches; he is Eddie Triplett, Daphne’s former stepfather from her childhood. Hearing Eddie’s voice floods Daphne with emotion, and she breaks down. Jonathan proposes they talk in the museum café.
Over tea and Eddie’s wine, Eddie explains a water shutdown sent him from his Random House office to the Met on a whim. He never remarried or had children and still works as an editor. He recalls Daphne’s brilliance and warmth from years ago, and they trade life updates: Jonathan’s retirement from hospital administration, Leda’s success as a therapist and columnist, and their mother’s settled life with Lucas Ekker.
Eddie offers his number but declines Daphne’s, jokingly preserving the choice. They part amiably; Eddie returns to search for a Rousseau painting. Daphne and Jonathan, their day upended, leave the museum. Jonathan gently escorts her across Central Park toward Leda’s apartment, intuiting she needs support and help navigating.
At Leda’s, Daphne recounts the meeting. The sisters revisit the brief, stabilizing period when Eddie lived with them and then the rapid chain: Leda’s appendicitis, the car accident with Daphne and Eddie, Eddie’s hospitalization, and his disappearance from their lives. Daphne admits she minimized the story for years, even telling Jonathan their mother had been driving. Together, the sisters recognize lingering, illogical guilt over Eddie’s departure and see the accident’s role in reshaping their family.
Who Appears
- Daphne Fuller (née Zabriskie)Narrator; reunites unexpectedly with former stepfather Eddie, breaks down, then examines buried guilt and truth about a childhood car accident.
- Eddie TriplettFormer stepfather; longtime Random House editor. Recognizes Daphne at the Met, shares his life, expresses lasting affection, and parts warmly.
- Jonathan FullerDaphne’s husband; spots Eddie following, initiates contact, supports Daphne through the emotional encounter and walk to Leda’s.
- Leda HaDaphne’s sister; therapist and columnist. Helps process the reunion, linking childhood events to enduring guilt about Eddie’s departure.
- Abigail ZabriskieDaphne and Leda’s mother; once married to Eddie, now with Lucas. Her decisive breaks shaped Eddie’s disappearance from their lives.
- Neil “Buddy” ZabriskieDaphne’s father; his illness led to Daphne meeting Jonathan years ago. Referenced as part of family history.
- Lucas EkkerAbigail’s current husband near Boston; mentioned as part of the family’s present structure.