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Taft
John Nickel is a black ex-jazz musician who only wants to be a good father. But when his son is taken away from him, he's left with nothing but the Memphis bar he manages. Then he hires Fay, a young white waitress, who has a volatile brother named Carl in tow. Nickel finds himself consumed with the idea of Taft -- Fay and Carl's dead father -- and begins to reconstruct the life of a man he never met. But his sympathies for these lost souls soon take him down a twisting path into the lives of strangers...
246 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
1,389 people are currently reading
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About the author
Ann Patchett
76books25.8kfollowersPatchett was born in Los Angeles, California. Her mother is the novelist Jeanne Ray.
She moved to Nashville, Tennessee when she was six, where she continues to live. Patchett said she loves her home in Nashville with her doctor husband and dog. If asked if she could go any place, that place would always be home. "Home is ...the stable window that opens out into the imagination."
Patchett attended high school at St. Bernard Academy, a private, non-parochial Catholic school for girls run by the Sisters of Mercy. Following graduation, she attended Sarah Lawrence College and took fiction writing classes with Allan Gurganus, Russell Banks, and Grace Paley. She later attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she met longtime friend Elizabeth McCracken. It was also there that she wrote her first novel, The Patron Saint of Liars.
In 2010, when she found that her hometown of Nashville no longer had a good book store, she co-founded Parnassus Books with Karen Hayes; the store opened in November 2011. In 2012, Patchett was on the Time 100 list of most influential people in the world by TIME magazine.
She moved to Nashville, Tennessee when she was six, where she continues to live. Patchett said she loves her home in Nashville with her doctor husband and dog. If asked if she could go any place, that place would always be home. "Home is ...the stable window that opens out into the imagination."
Patchett attended high school at St. Bernard Academy, a private, non-parochial Catholic school for girls run by the Sisters of Mercy. Following graduation, she attended Sarah Lawrence College and took fiction writing classes with Allan Gurganus, Russell Banks, and Grace Paley. She later attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she met longtime friend Elizabeth McCracken. It was also there that she wrote her first novel, The Patron Saint of Liars.
In 2010, when she found that her hometown of Nashville no longer had a good book store, she co-founded Parnassus Books with Karen Hayes; the store opened in November 2011. In 2012, Patchett was on the Time 100 list of most influential people in the world by TIME magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 970 reviews
January 10, 2022
I had low expectations�. (was told it was Ann’s weakest link novel)�.
But I was pleasantly surprised. I became immersed in the story � and invested with the characters right away.
Ann Patchett can’t do bad �
can’t write bad � so even though it’s not “Bel Canto� or my recent favorite “These Precious Days� �
this was still good!!
I’ve one more Ann Patchett novel to read � “The Patron Saints of Liars�.
But I was pleasantly surprised. I became immersed in the story � and invested with the characters right away.
Ann Patchett can’t do bad �
can’t write bad � so even though it’s not “Bel Canto� or my recent favorite “These Precious Days� �
this was still good!!
I’ve one more Ann Patchett novel to read � “The Patron Saints of Liars�.
May 4, 2016
A Girl walked into the bar. What a great opening line. Right away it had me asking questions.
This is the fourth Patchett novel I have read and one of her earliest. While not as good as Bel Canto or State of Wonder it is still a very enjoyable read.
John Nickel lives in Memphis and is an ex jazz drummer and current bar manager. The girl that walks into his bar is Fay Taft and through her we meet her brother Carl. John over identifies with these two troubled teenagers who have recently and very suddenly lost their father. Perhaps this is because John’s on again, off again, girlfriend Marion has relocated to Miami, thereby separating him from his own young son.
Over time John’s involvement with Fay and Carl takes him down a twisted, dangerous path and he begins to obsess over the imagined life and death of their Father.
This story meets it’s conclusion in a very open ended way so if you are one of those people that want all their questions answered and all the ends tied up, this one will likely frustrate you. As for me I found it to be quite a stunning achievement.
This is the fourth Patchett novel I have read and one of her earliest. While not as good as Bel Canto or State of Wonder it is still a very enjoyable read.
John Nickel lives in Memphis and is an ex jazz drummer and current bar manager. The girl that walks into his bar is Fay Taft and through her we meet her brother Carl. John over identifies with these two troubled teenagers who have recently and very suddenly lost their father. Perhaps this is because John’s on again, off again, girlfriend Marion has relocated to Miami, thereby separating him from his own young son.
Over time John’s involvement with Fay and Carl takes him down a twisted, dangerous path and he begins to obsess over the imagined life and death of their Father.
This story meets it’s conclusion in a very open ended way so if you are one of those people that want all their questions answered and all the ends tied up, this one will likely frustrate you. As for me I found it to be quite a stunning achievement.
November 9, 2019
I have had this one on my TBR list for so long. Keep checking it out from the library and sending it back, unread. I grabbed the audio, started listening....and when the narrator announced 'a book by Anne PRATCHETT' I had that uh oh moment.
John Nickel is a black man in the South (Memphis), who is an ex drummer playing Jazz music, and works in a bar as a night manager. He has a son that he wants to be with. His 'girlfriend' Marianne has his baby, but he's more into the bar, the music, partying...and taking her for granted. After the birth of the boy, he changes and want to marry her, but she wants no part of it. After some time, she moves to Miami and he struggles to keep his son in his life and wants more. John has changed over time. Then, one day a very young (too young to be working in a bar) white girl, Faye, walks into the bar to get a job as a waitress. John gives her a job and is drawn into her world. Her brother is constantly at the bar, he's a mess, dealing drugs, and John is drawn into his world. The lost their father, Taft, recently and John becomes 'obsessed' with detailing Taft's life. And I mean building elaborate details of his life. He feels something for these two and just wants to help them. John is drawn to Faye and she believes she has fallen in love with him. You just know this is going to end in a tragedy.
It was almost two different books here - one I found interesting (John's life) and one I found bizarre (John telling Taft's life). Had the story just focused more on John's life, it would have been much better. I had a feeling early on where this one was headed, but the ending....just odd. Despite the narrator not pronouncing the authors name properly, it was a pretty good narration. I've mentioned numerous times how I love to read Ann Patchett books and this one is no exception. It's one of her earlier books. Unfortunately, I think I liked this one the least. But I did like it. And now, on to my next book by this author.
John Nickel is a black man in the South (Memphis), who is an ex drummer playing Jazz music, and works in a bar as a night manager. He has a son that he wants to be with. His 'girlfriend' Marianne has his baby, but he's more into the bar, the music, partying...and taking her for granted. After the birth of the boy, he changes and want to marry her, but she wants no part of it. After some time, she moves to Miami and he struggles to keep his son in his life and wants more. John has changed over time. Then, one day a very young (too young to be working in a bar) white girl, Faye, walks into the bar to get a job as a waitress. John gives her a job and is drawn into her world. Her brother is constantly at the bar, he's a mess, dealing drugs, and John is drawn into his world. The lost their father, Taft, recently and John becomes 'obsessed' with detailing Taft's life. And I mean building elaborate details of his life. He feels something for these two and just wants to help them. John is drawn to Faye and she believes she has fallen in love with him. You just know this is going to end in a tragedy.
It was almost two different books here - one I found interesting (John's life) and one I found bizarre (John telling Taft's life). Had the story just focused more on John's life, it would have been much better. I had a feeling early on where this one was headed, but the ending....just odd. Despite the narrator not pronouncing the authors name properly, it was a pretty good narration. I've mentioned numerous times how I love to read Ann Patchett books and this one is no exception. It's one of her earlier books. Unfortunately, I think I liked this one the least. But I did like it. And now, on to my next book by this author.
December 28, 2017
I came across my first Ann Patchett novel in the early 2000s–her fourth and possibly most popular novel, Bel Canto. Since then I have sporadically read some of her more recent novels, but I had never read her earliest works.
This fall, when Hurricane Irma was threatening south Florida and the school where I was teaching closed for the week, I drove north to ride the storm out in Nashville. That just happens to be where Ann Patchett’s independent bookstore, Parnassus Books, is. I had never visited, so it was a good opportunity. It’s a wonderful store and almost enough of a reason to move to Nashville. If I lived there, I’d be there every week. I picked up signed editions of her first three novels and one other I had missed over the years, and so I’ve decided to read through all of her works again and fill in those gaps.
I screwed up the order, however, and started with Taft, which is actually her second novel (1994). It’s the story of a former blues drummer, Joe Nickel, who now manages a well-known Memphis blues bar on Beale Street, Muddy’s. Joe works too many hours because his nine-year-old son, Franklin, has moved to Miami with his mother. Joe’s lonely for him and his “fatherhood� is very much the focus of the novel.
When Fay Taft and her brother Carl show up in his bar, and enter his life, he emotionally adopts them, but it becomes a very intricate and confused emotional tangle. Along the way, Joe learns that Taft, their father, has recently died, and Joe spends a lot of time trying to imagine what their lives were like together in the small east Tennessee town where they lived before arriving recently in Memphis.
While I don’t believe this is Patchett’s finest novel, I’m still taken with her prose and the way she lays out emotional family dramas. She blends humor, pathos, and enough suspense that Taft is ultimately a quick read and already demonstrates the terrific style for which she’s become known throughout her career. (I also happen to adore her nonfiction.)
So if you’ve read Bel Canto, or more recently, Commonwealth, consider her earlier novels as well. I’m looking forward to reading the other three very soon.
This fall, when Hurricane Irma was threatening south Florida and the school where I was teaching closed for the week, I drove north to ride the storm out in Nashville. That just happens to be where Ann Patchett’s independent bookstore, Parnassus Books, is. I had never visited, so it was a good opportunity. It’s a wonderful store and almost enough of a reason to move to Nashville. If I lived there, I’d be there every week. I picked up signed editions of her first three novels and one other I had missed over the years, and so I’ve decided to read through all of her works again and fill in those gaps.
I screwed up the order, however, and started with Taft, which is actually her second novel (1994). It’s the story of a former blues drummer, Joe Nickel, who now manages a well-known Memphis blues bar on Beale Street, Muddy’s. Joe works too many hours because his nine-year-old son, Franklin, has moved to Miami with his mother. Joe’s lonely for him and his “fatherhood� is very much the focus of the novel.
When Fay Taft and her brother Carl show up in his bar, and enter his life, he emotionally adopts them, but it becomes a very intricate and confused emotional tangle. Along the way, Joe learns that Taft, their father, has recently died, and Joe spends a lot of time trying to imagine what their lives were like together in the small east Tennessee town where they lived before arriving recently in Memphis.
While I don’t believe this is Patchett’s finest novel, I’m still taken with her prose and the way she lays out emotional family dramas. She blends humor, pathos, and enough suspense that Taft is ultimately a quick read and already demonstrates the terrific style for which she’s become known throughout her career. (I also happen to adore her nonfiction.)
So if you’ve read Bel Canto, or more recently, Commonwealth, consider her earlier novels as well. I’m looking forward to reading the other three very soon.
September 21, 2022
3.5 stars
John Nickel is at the bar he manages when he meets Faye Taft, a 20 year old who wants a server job. He hires her suspecting she's probably closer to 18, which is ok since 17 year olds can serve alcohol in Tennessee as long as they don't drink. Then her younger brother starts hanging around and he's a very troubled kid. Trouble certainly follows him.
The young duo lost their dad a little while back, and the story splits off into how he was with them as a dad. I wasn't quite sure if these snippets were accurate or just imaginings by John. I thought if he conjured up all these stories of their childhood, what was the point? Since I listened to the audio, it wasn't easy to go back to check on the origins of these stories.
Speaking of the audiobook, it's unfathomable that the narrator pronounced the author's name 3 times as "PRATCHETT." Otherwise, this wasn't a bad listen for a few hours.
John Nickel is at the bar he manages when he meets Faye Taft, a 20 year old who wants a server job. He hires her suspecting she's probably closer to 18, which is ok since 17 year olds can serve alcohol in Tennessee as long as they don't drink. Then her younger brother starts hanging around and he's a very troubled kid. Trouble certainly follows him.
The young duo lost their dad a little while back, and the story splits off into how he was with them as a dad. I wasn't quite sure if these snippets were accurate or just imaginings by John. I thought if he conjured up all these stories of their childhood, what was the point? Since I listened to the audio, it wasn't easy to go back to check on the origins of these stories.
Speaking of the audiobook, it's unfathomable that the narrator pronounced the author's name 3 times as "PRATCHETT." Otherwise, this wasn't a bad listen for a few hours.
August 20, 2021
Ann Patchett's, "Taft," is the third book that I have read by this supremely talented writer that I wish never ended. All and All, I have read seven of her books and the one thing they all have in common is fantastic characters, wonderful stories, and superb writing.
One of the main features of Leonardo DA Vinci's paintings, a feature that sets him apart from almost all other painters and sculptors, is that there is nothing in a DA Vinci painting, whether it be a sleeping dog, a baby in a crib, the grass beneath a character's feet, or the blue of the sky above that is not alive and in motion. There is nothing stationary, everything has life and as you look at his works it is hard not to say to yourself what is that dog going to do next, or is the sky slowly going to turn grey.
That is one of the great characterizations of Ms. Patchett's works. In "Taft," a girl who walks into a bar, shy and with her head down, with skin so light that it is almost transparent, and who could probably be 10 or possibly 18 years old andseems completely harmless, but with the passage of a little time you are suddenly expecting her to do something crazy and when she doesn't you breath a sigh of relief. Ms. Patchett's characters, like a Da Vinci subject, is full of possibilities, despite appearances. I have often called her characters energized as though they are on steroids, and that is as true in "Taft," as in all her novels that I have read.
"Taft" is a study of fatherhood with two parallel stories, one in first character narrative and the other in third person narrative, that brings to light the importance of fathers in the life of their children, whether they be boys or girls.
It is just another example of the extraordinary talent that Ms. Patchett possesses, whether her novel is taken place in a bar in Memphis like in "Taft" or a home run by nuns for unwed mothers in Kentucky. Highly, highly recommend.
One of the main features of Leonardo DA Vinci's paintings, a feature that sets him apart from almost all other painters and sculptors, is that there is nothing in a DA Vinci painting, whether it be a sleeping dog, a baby in a crib, the grass beneath a character's feet, or the blue of the sky above that is not alive and in motion. There is nothing stationary, everything has life and as you look at his works it is hard not to say to yourself what is that dog going to do next, or is the sky slowly going to turn grey.
That is one of the great characterizations of Ms. Patchett's works. In "Taft," a girl who walks into a bar, shy and with her head down, with skin so light that it is almost transparent, and who could probably be 10 or possibly 18 years old andseems completely harmless, but with the passage of a little time you are suddenly expecting her to do something crazy and when she doesn't you breath a sigh of relief. Ms. Patchett's characters, like a Da Vinci subject, is full of possibilities, despite appearances. I have often called her characters energized as though they are on steroids, and that is as true in "Taft," as in all her novels that I have read.
"Taft" is a study of fatherhood with two parallel stories, one in first character narrative and the other in third person narrative, that brings to light the importance of fathers in the life of their children, whether they be boys or girls.
It is just another example of the extraordinary talent that Ms. Patchett possesses, whether her novel is taken place in a bar in Memphis like in "Taft" or a home run by nuns for unwed mothers in Kentucky. Highly, highly recommend.
December 27, 2016
There's a reason this novel hasn't received the acclaim of Patchett's other masterpieces (Bel Canto, State of Wonder, Patron Saint of Liars, and most recent, Commonwealth). This book lacks the gravitas for which Ann Patchett is so well known -- particularly when it comes to her ability to evoke emotional reactions to characters and their (often complicated) lives. The story just isn't compelling. The plot drags. And the lackluster prose doesn't even compare to her other work. Read something else instead!
May 28, 2022
A black man named John Nickel runs a bar in Memphis. He meets Fay Taft and hires her as a server, despite the fact that he believes she is underage. Her brother, Carl, is mixed up with drugs. Their father (the titular Taft) has died, and their mother is not around. Nickel begins imagining the life of their father, though they had never met.
Nickel is an interesting character. He is an ex-drummer. He is estranged from his ex-girlfriend and mother of his son, who has moved to Miami. He made some mistakes earlier in life, which he acknowledges, but very much wants a relationship with his son. I think we are supposed to admire him but his actions make this difficult.
For me, the structure of this story does not work very well. It mixes up what is real (Nickel’s life) with what is imagined (Taft’s life with his kids). I am not sure I understood the point of the imagined storyline. Perhaps Nickel is dreaming a fatherhood he would like to have with his own son? If so, it was a weak link. I think it would have been much more effective if the storyline had focused on Nickel. The plot takes a strange twist toward the end, which did not work for me. It was okay but not Patchett’s best in my opinion.
Nickel is an interesting character. He is an ex-drummer. He is estranged from his ex-girlfriend and mother of his son, who has moved to Miami. He made some mistakes earlier in life, which he acknowledges, but very much wants a relationship with his son. I think we are supposed to admire him but his actions make this difficult.
For me, the structure of this story does not work very well. It mixes up what is real (Nickel’s life) with what is imagined (Taft’s life with his kids). I am not sure I understood the point of the imagined storyline. Perhaps Nickel is dreaming a fatherhood he would like to have with his own son? If so, it was a weak link. I think it would have been much more effective if the storyline had focused on Nickel. The plot takes a strange twist toward the end, which did not work for me. It was okay but not Patchett’s best in my opinion.
October 10, 2015
The writing is a 4, the story, more 3/3.5 for me.
I really like the writing in this book and connected immediately to John Nichol, the narrator. John is a drummer who is managing a bar to provide income for his child and ex. He hires a young waitress, Fay and her, Carl, starts hanging around. Fay and Carl have a lot of baggage, and are grieving the death of their father "Taft." John is black and Fay and Carl are white, and race is a theme in the story.
Ultimately this is a story about father's love. John worries about and misses his son who lives with his ex. He starts imagining what Fay and Carl's life was like before their father died.
My quibble is that when John starts imagining the Taft family before the death the transitions are abrupt and often lost me. And, there are times it reads like some strange ESP or voice from beyond. I had to re-read the last few chapters, thinking I missed something.
I really like the writing in this book and connected immediately to John Nichol, the narrator. John is a drummer who is managing a bar to provide income for his child and ex. He hires a young waitress, Fay and her, Carl, starts hanging around. Fay and Carl have a lot of baggage, and are grieving the death of their father "Taft." John is black and Fay and Carl are white, and race is a theme in the story.
Ultimately this is a story about father's love. John worries about and misses his son who lives with his ex. He starts imagining what Fay and Carl's life was like before their father died.
My quibble is that when John starts imagining the Taft family before the death the transitions are abrupt and often lost me. And, there are times it reads like some strange ESP or voice from beyond. I had to re-read the last few chapters, thinking I missed something.
March 5, 2014
I did enjoy reading this book, but I cannot resist comparing it to Patchett's later work, , which was a shining example for her. It is for this reason dificult for me to give this novel a 4 star rating, but a 3.5 would be quite adequate.
As one can easily see from the description given about this book, it involves a man named John Nickel. He is an ex-jazz musician, running a barroom. His girlfriend has left him, taking their beloved son. Much of the time, John seems unfocused and in a dream-world. Yet his devotion to his son is unwavering. As John tells his story throughout the book, it is not difficult to see his goodness and often hidden strengths, despite ill advised decisions and flights of imagination.
This is not a simple story. Patchett has skillfully woven a tale of despair, the realm of possibilities and the constancy of love. She was quite adept in acheiving a believable, likable character related in the voice of a male.
As one can easily see from the description given about this book, it involves a man named John Nickel. He is an ex-jazz musician, running a barroom. His girlfriend has left him, taking their beloved son. Much of the time, John seems unfocused and in a dream-world. Yet his devotion to his son is unwavering. As John tells his story throughout the book, it is not difficult to see his goodness and often hidden strengths, despite ill advised decisions and flights of imagination.
This is not a simple story. Patchett has skillfully woven a tale of despair, the realm of possibilities and the constancy of love. She was quite adept in acheiving a believable, likable character related in the voice of a male.
November 27, 2015
Not even sure what to say about this book without it coming out wrong. Not one of my favorites!
It just... Ugh.
It just... Ugh.
December 27, 2011
Taft is Ann Patchett's second novel out of an oeuvre of six (plus a few non-fiction works). To date, I had read all her other novels; this was my final one to read. If you've followed my previous reviews, you know by now that I love her work, but I have to say this is my least favorite.
Patchett has a formula—that is not a bad thing. She twists the stories so well that it's difficult to lump them into any single category. Patchett likes to throw total strangers into a bowl and see how they mix. In Taft, she tells the tale of a single-father black man in Memphis who manages a bar. "A girl walked into the bar." is the first line. I was immediately expecting a bit of humor, but there was little humor to be had.
The story is told mainly in first person. Ok, so first person black man in Memphis told by a lovely white woman who did not grow up in Memphis. That is an undertaking. The voice of the primary character (whose name we don't learn until halfway through the book) does not come across to me as a black man. In fact, I didn't even know he was supposed to be black until a hundred pages in. I may have missed it, but none the less, it was not obvious. The character (John) didn't sound black, he sometimes sounded like a 30-year old Holden Caulfield.
It's possibly unfair to judge an author's early works against her later works; becoming a better writer is always the goal. However, this novel did not draw me in as her other works do. I might have put it down after 50 pages if I wasn't such a big fan of hers. About half way through, I really started to care about the characters and I think the novel had a good (not great) finish. It is well-foreshadowed which created a certain degree of suspense. The title character, Taft (not the hero), is the deceased father of "the girl who walked into the bar." Patchett does a back and forth thing with "John" and "Taft" that is effective but confusing. It picks up the pace of the book, but the two story lines did not seem of equal importance for such a literary task.
All in all, I can't give this novel more than 3 Stars. I'm glad I didn't read it before I read Bel Canto and State of Wonder—I might have been turned off. In any case, I still love Ann Patchett's work, and I am eager for her next novel.
Patchett has a formula—that is not a bad thing. She twists the stories so well that it's difficult to lump them into any single category. Patchett likes to throw total strangers into a bowl and see how they mix. In Taft, she tells the tale of a single-father black man in Memphis who manages a bar. "A girl walked into the bar." is the first line. I was immediately expecting a bit of humor, but there was little humor to be had.
The story is told mainly in first person. Ok, so first person black man in Memphis told by a lovely white woman who did not grow up in Memphis. That is an undertaking. The voice of the primary character (whose name we don't learn until halfway through the book) does not come across to me as a black man. In fact, I didn't even know he was supposed to be black until a hundred pages in. I may have missed it, but none the less, it was not obvious. The character (John) didn't sound black, he sometimes sounded like a 30-year old Holden Caulfield.
It's possibly unfair to judge an author's early works against her later works; becoming a better writer is always the goal. However, this novel did not draw me in as her other works do. I might have put it down after 50 pages if I wasn't such a big fan of hers. About half way through, I really started to care about the characters and I think the novel had a good (not great) finish. It is well-foreshadowed which created a certain degree of suspense. The title character, Taft (not the hero), is the deceased father of "the girl who walked into the bar." Patchett does a back and forth thing with "John" and "Taft" that is effective but confusing. It picks up the pace of the book, but the two story lines did not seem of equal importance for such a literary task.
All in all, I can't give this novel more than 3 Stars. I'm glad I didn't read it before I read Bel Canto and State of Wonder—I might have been turned off. In any case, I still love Ann Patchett's work, and I am eager for her next novel.
November 24, 2020
I liked this book. I also like the fact that I’m finally making it through all of Ann Patchett’s books; something I set out to accomplish about 18 years ago. The only one I have left to read is “Commonwealth� which I have on hold at the library.
Taft is Patchett’s second novel, written in 1994.
Having not read anything about the book and the image on the cover being that of a bridge I had no idea who was telling the story, but I liked the voice, which ended up being a black, ex-jazz musician, John Nickel. Most of the story takes place in the bar where he works in Memphis.
But the main interest starts when Fay walks into the bar.
Later her brother Carl arrives on the scene, and I knew he would mean trouble. Early on I had guessed that Carl would do what he did in the bar. As I read, I kept waiting for it to happen, and it did, though I just didn’t have all the details worked out.
The story was a bit confusing in the switching back and forth, to the story of Fay and Carl’s father, Taft. Especially strange toward the end of the book when “I� (the main character) am in the bathtub witnessing the death of Taft.
I think it’s sometimes a requirement of “literary fiction� to be confusing. At least that my experience and opinion anyway.
But all in all, I enjoyed this read!
Taft is Patchett’s second novel, written in 1994.
Having not read anything about the book and the image on the cover being that of a bridge I had no idea who was telling the story, but I liked the voice, which ended up being a black, ex-jazz musician, John Nickel. Most of the story takes place in the bar where he works in Memphis.
But the main interest starts when Fay walks into the bar.
Later her brother Carl arrives on the scene, and I knew he would mean trouble. Early on I had guessed that Carl would do what he did in the bar. As I read, I kept waiting for it to happen, and it did, though I just didn’t have all the details worked out.
The story was a bit confusing in the switching back and forth, to the story of Fay and Carl’s father, Taft. Especially strange toward the end of the book when “I� (the main character) am in the bathtub witnessing the death of Taft.
I think it’s sometimes a requirement of “literary fiction� to be confusing. At least that my experience and opinion anyway.
But all in all, I enjoyed this read!
January 28, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up
Ann Patchett’s second novel features John Nickel, who manages a Beale Street bar in Memphis, and longs for the young son whose mother moved him away to Florida. Enter Fay Taft, a young woman Nickel suspects is underage but nevertheless hires as a bar waitress. Fay has her volatile, sketchy younger brother in tow, and Nickel soon finds himself reluctantly caught up in their drama. The novel has a somewhat puzzling structure. It’s named after the orphaned siblings� father, dead far before his time, who is first introduced to the reader as Nickel imagines scenes from his life, but then (I think?) in more straightforward flashbacks. Patchett excels at creating some extended dramatic action involving the bar, even if the climactic scene was signalled too unsubtly in advance. (I knew it was a question of when, not if.) As with her first novel, The Patron Saint of Liars, I thought Patchett did not always completely successfully bring the disparate parts together, but on the whole a commendable sophomore effort.
Ann Patchett’s second novel features John Nickel, who manages a Beale Street bar in Memphis, and longs for the young son whose mother moved him away to Florida. Enter Fay Taft, a young woman Nickel suspects is underage but nevertheless hires as a bar waitress. Fay has her volatile, sketchy younger brother in tow, and Nickel soon finds himself reluctantly caught up in their drama. The novel has a somewhat puzzling structure. It’s named after the orphaned siblings� father, dead far before his time, who is first introduced to the reader as Nickel imagines scenes from his life, but then (I think?) in more straightforward flashbacks. Patchett excels at creating some extended dramatic action involving the bar, even if the climactic scene was signalled too unsubtly in advance. (I knew it was a question of when, not if.) As with her first novel, The Patron Saint of Liars, I thought Patchett did not always completely successfully bring the disparate parts together, but on the whole a commendable sophomore effort.
August 7, 2019
Dnf p. 83. I knew better than to even start this after not finishing 2 other books of hers, but I did it anyway. It started out fine for me, but that probably was b/c I am very familiar w/ not only Memphis, but the music scene & musicians. That carried me further than this tale otherwise would have if it'd been staged differently. I just couldn't buy the story line about this guy getting involved w/ these kids from out of town. The inclusion of the MC & his imagined Taft as a character just killed the whole thing, though. Not only did I not believe it as plausible for the character to be so fixated on the Taft guy, but it pulled away from what real story there was. Like I said though, I knew better than to even start w/ another try at Patchett.
May 14, 2022
Actually, 3.5 stars. I was casting about and discovered a couple of Ann Patchett novels I had not read so decided to correct that problem. This one is short and very well written but the ending was a disappointment in terms of resolution - 5 or 6 threads of the story just left hanging and unresolved. (Like life, I suppose, but doesn't mean I have to like it!)
Ever met Ann or seen her picture? Petite, slender, pretty white woman. As I read this story, I could not help but imagine the "PC chorus" carping that she has no right to co-opt a story from a black man's perspective. Sorry folks, I disagree, talented imaginative writers are able to translate those elements of humanity common to all of us and she does a great job.
Ever met Ann or seen her picture? Petite, slender, pretty white woman. As I read this story, I could not help but imagine the "PC chorus" carping that she has no right to co-opt a story from a black man's perspective. Sorry folks, I disagree, talented imaginative writers are able to translate those elements of humanity common to all of us and she does a great job.
April 19, 2012
I love Ann Patchett books - this one was terrible. I had to push myself to get through it - even skipping pages because they were obvious. The ending was no ending either - no closure to it.
January 29, 2014
I am continuing to read Ann Patchett on the strength of her radio interviews and the beautiful things that she says about the writing process and the writer’s life. Her first novel The Patron Saint of Liars did not blow me away—she had a good story, some lovely themes, and a nifty idea for perspective—but I wasn’t left feeling moved or changed, which is what I expect when I finish a novel. I felt the same way when I put down Patchett’s second novel Taft, which is to say that I didn’t feel much. I want to like her books; I really, really, really want to like her books, because I adore her as an author, but beyond having good story ideas and interesting figures for characters, her novels lack the depth, complexity, or challenges of what I might term “good� literature. Ugh, I hate that Patchett’s fiction drives me to make distinctions like this. I consider a novel good if it makes me think and question myself and the world, if it forces me to see myself and the world differently, if the words are strung together beautifully, if it challenges me intellectually, if it sits with me for days and I have to talk to someone else about it rather than carrying the weight of what I’ve experienced, the new things I’ve thought and felt, around with me—I don’t have to “like� it, but I want to appreciate what it’s trying to do. Patchett’s novels are so far falling short.
Taft is the story of John Nickel, a black (yes, a white woman of privilege writing from the “I� perspective of a Southern black man—ambitious or stupid?) bar manager and former jazz drummer, and what happens when he takes in two white teenage lost souls, Fay and her drug-abusing, drug-dealing younger brother Carl. Their father, the titular Taft, is dead and they have moved from the poor, rural town of Coalfield to Memphis with their non-present mother to live with their well-off aunt and uncle. When the story opens John’s ex-girlfriend Marion has taken their son Franklin (yes, another president’s name) to Miami, seemingly out of maliciousness toward John. The reader learns that John was not thrilled when he learned of Marion’s pregnancy—refused to marry her, ran around with other women, and generally saw fatherhood as interfering with his go-as-you-please musician lifestyle. When Franklin was born, John softened and since then has been trying to atone for his initial reaction—asking Marion to marry him, still running around with other women, and giving up drumming for the “stability� of running a blues bar. The reader can see that John’s sympathy for Fay and Carl, his involvement in their troubles, goes beyond just simple kindness; he has embraced the role of father. If he cannot be father to Franklin, then we will play it out with Fay and Carl.
Refreshingly, this is a story about fatherhood. It’s actually a story about black fatherhood, which has been significantly documented (for its lack thereof) in American culture. One of the few thought-provoking, memorable moments in the novel describes the day spent between John and Franklin when Marion comes back from Miami for a visit. Muses John: “Boys with their fathers who don’t belong to their fathers, I can spot them anywhere. They’re taking tours of the pyramid, playing Putt-Putt golf at ten o’clock on a Saturday morning. They’re filling up the zoo, carrying cotton candy and a bag of carmeled corn, balloons, and a thirty-five dollar stuffed yak from the gift shop. Custody day, I used to think to myself when I passed them. . . . It wasn’t until just that moment that I had feelings for every father who had tried to endear himself in the few hours he had, every father who wanted his kid to go home and tell his mother about how great the day had been. The kid’s life is screwed up and I’m the one who did it. That’s what us custody fathers think. If I can make it look like Disneyland for a while, then more power to me.� This passage is nicely written by Patchett, and presents a sentiment and perspective so often ignored in our focus (still) on the relationship between mother and child. I wish I could say that there were more moments like this, but the book just doesn’t stick with me. Like the Patron Saint of Liars, it feels like a writing workshop exercise. Write from a perspective that is the total opposite of you; frame a story in flashback. There’s ways in which the novel feels perfect, like the over-produced album, where you see the potential of the band, but want the raw stage show to really “feel� them, and there’s ways in which it is just messy. How do all of these things come together? The lives of poor rural Tennessee kids, imagined flashbacks of the selfless father Taft, an ex-jazz musician, a young black American teenager getting swept up in gang culture, a white kid descending into drugs, a single black mother, interracial relationships, etc. etc. etc? There’s a lot that Patchett covers, but not one thing very deeply—she sacrifices depth for suggestion. Ann Patchett’s novels are good, but not great.
Taft is the story of John Nickel, a black (yes, a white woman of privilege writing from the “I� perspective of a Southern black man—ambitious or stupid?) bar manager and former jazz drummer, and what happens when he takes in two white teenage lost souls, Fay and her drug-abusing, drug-dealing younger brother Carl. Their father, the titular Taft, is dead and they have moved from the poor, rural town of Coalfield to Memphis with their non-present mother to live with their well-off aunt and uncle. When the story opens John’s ex-girlfriend Marion has taken their son Franklin (yes, another president’s name) to Miami, seemingly out of maliciousness toward John. The reader learns that John was not thrilled when he learned of Marion’s pregnancy—refused to marry her, ran around with other women, and generally saw fatherhood as interfering with his go-as-you-please musician lifestyle. When Franklin was born, John softened and since then has been trying to atone for his initial reaction—asking Marion to marry him, still running around with other women, and giving up drumming for the “stability� of running a blues bar. The reader can see that John’s sympathy for Fay and Carl, his involvement in their troubles, goes beyond just simple kindness; he has embraced the role of father. If he cannot be father to Franklin, then we will play it out with Fay and Carl.
Refreshingly, this is a story about fatherhood. It’s actually a story about black fatherhood, which has been significantly documented (for its lack thereof) in American culture. One of the few thought-provoking, memorable moments in the novel describes the day spent between John and Franklin when Marion comes back from Miami for a visit. Muses John: “Boys with their fathers who don’t belong to their fathers, I can spot them anywhere. They’re taking tours of the pyramid, playing Putt-Putt golf at ten o’clock on a Saturday morning. They’re filling up the zoo, carrying cotton candy and a bag of carmeled corn, balloons, and a thirty-five dollar stuffed yak from the gift shop. Custody day, I used to think to myself when I passed them. . . . It wasn’t until just that moment that I had feelings for every father who had tried to endear himself in the few hours he had, every father who wanted his kid to go home and tell his mother about how great the day had been. The kid’s life is screwed up and I’m the one who did it. That’s what us custody fathers think. If I can make it look like Disneyland for a while, then more power to me.� This passage is nicely written by Patchett, and presents a sentiment and perspective so often ignored in our focus (still) on the relationship between mother and child. I wish I could say that there were more moments like this, but the book just doesn’t stick with me. Like the Patron Saint of Liars, it feels like a writing workshop exercise. Write from a perspective that is the total opposite of you; frame a story in flashback. There’s ways in which the novel feels perfect, like the over-produced album, where you see the potential of the band, but want the raw stage show to really “feel� them, and there’s ways in which it is just messy. How do all of these things come together? The lives of poor rural Tennessee kids, imagined flashbacks of the selfless father Taft, an ex-jazz musician, a young black American teenager getting swept up in gang culture, a white kid descending into drugs, a single black mother, interracial relationships, etc. etc. etc? There’s a lot that Patchett covers, but not one thing very deeply—she sacrifices depth for suggestion. Ann Patchett’s novels are good, but not great.
July 28, 2018
This was a page-turner for me. I read this book in 5 days in between working, projects, and family life. The main character, John Nickle opened me up to another world in a way that I needed to be. I needed to experience lives of others in a fresh non-judgmental way, and see the good in people that live a life foreign to mine. To me Taft is literature that left me with tender and poignant thoughts and feelings at the end. (I think there needs to be a sequel!)
In the last year I had to travel to Memphis for work, and found it a unique and unusual place and wasn't particularly fond of it. I did enjoy their botanical gardens and Shelby Farms outdoor areas.
This book altered my views on Memphis, on Tennessee and the music culture of the Memphis area. I found myself caring about the characters in this story and it was an interesting read about the lives of musicians and people that manage and work in bars. How they cover, care for and take care of each other, plus much more.
I purchased this book at the author's bookstore in Nashville, named Parnassus. When we walked in it popped out at me and has been magic for me and will continue to be. Thank you Ann Patchett!
In the last year I had to travel to Memphis for work, and found it a unique and unusual place and wasn't particularly fond of it. I did enjoy their botanical gardens and Shelby Farms outdoor areas.
This book altered my views on Memphis, on Tennessee and the music culture of the Memphis area. I found myself caring about the characters in this story and it was an interesting read about the lives of musicians and people that manage and work in bars. How they cover, care for and take care of each other, plus much more.
I purchased this book at the author's bookstore in Nashville, named Parnassus. When we walked in it popped out at me and has been magic for me and will continue to be. Thank you Ann Patchett!
January 19, 2010
Taft by Ann Patchett is a gently written story that I enjoyed immensely.
A girl walked into a bar. This is a provocative opening to the story. It instantly brought up questions. How old? Why did she walk into the bar?
Who is she?
The bar is managed by John Nickles. John is black and had been a jazz musician. He lost his son who had given meaning to his life as the boys mother had before she conceived. When John was finally ok with it the situation was already to late.
John Nickel is frought with doubts, tempted, and then consumed with the dead man Taft.
Taft was the father of the two children John takes in. These lost waifs take John on many dangerous paths. One being that the children are white.
The story is left open at the ending. For those who don't just like to peak in on the lives of others this would not please them.
I like to fill out the story for myself from many different angles.
It reminds me of the story of The Lady and the Tiger. I ended up with my own living answer. I chose the lady. But that's another story.
A girl walked into a bar. This is a provocative opening to the story. It instantly brought up questions. How old? Why did she walk into the bar?
Who is she?
The bar is managed by John Nickles. John is black and had been a jazz musician. He lost his son who had given meaning to his life as the boys mother had before she conceived. When John was finally ok with it the situation was already to late.
John Nickel is frought with doubts, tempted, and then consumed with the dead man Taft.
Taft was the father of the two children John takes in. These lost waifs take John on many dangerous paths. One being that the children are white.
The story is left open at the ending. For those who don't just like to peak in on the lives of others this would not please them.
I like to fill out the story for myself from many different angles.
It reminds me of the story of The Lady and the Tiger. I ended up with my own living answer. I chose the lady. But that's another story.
September 22, 2013
Like many readers, I first met the books of Ann Patchett with Bel Canto. That immediately made me want to read everything she writes. Taft is the last of Patchett's books for me to read. And I am sad because I suspect it will be a few years before she has another new novel.
September 5, 2007
I rarely don't finish a book, but I just couldn't get through this one. Really surprising since the author is one of my favorites, but it was just so slow and close to pointless....
July 7, 2023
This is the only Ann Patchett novel I hadn’t read yet, so I figured I’d knock it out this summer. Glad I did. Her ability to draw you into a character’s world is just so, so smart. I struggled to like the characters in this story: everyone made poor choices that felt a bit unrealistic to me. Otherwise, this was a great read because of her trademark prose. Excited for her new book in August!
December 11, 2021
Ann Patchett is one of 14 of my favorite authors (female authors at that) and I have read all but one of her 8 novels. I can’t wait to read her latest book, These Precious Days, a non-fiction book of essays. I have met Ann Patchett in person at a reading of The Dutch House, and as it turned out, it was the last time the author and I were out in public amongst a large crowd. Covid, as it happened was on the heels of this excellent event.
I did not recognize Taft as written by Ann Patchett. For me it was reminiscent of Walter Mosley’s crime/mysteries (Leonid McGill), though not as well written. It is about an African American ex-drummer who manages a bar in Memphis, Tennessee and his relationships with the other characters in the story. There is a young girl who comes to the bar wanting a job (and getting it) and her drug addicted brother who is likeable until he isn’t. The relationship that matters most is with his 11 year old son who he pines for when he is taken to Florida by his ex-girlfriend. The story becomes confusing, especially as an audiobook because it constantly transitions between present and past. The past is about Taft, the father of the young girl and her troubled brother, and is somehow being told by John, the bar manager, who knows him only by the stories told him by the young girl and her brother. Then a shooting happens and what was previously hard to believe becomes somewhat ridiculous. The audiobook is read by J. D. Jackson, who did an admirable job, overall, but the time transitions and the Taft story were ever so confusing, perhaps more so as a listener.
Ok, in rereading this review, I have been rather critical and it would appear that I didn’t like it, when the truth is that I enjoyed it a great deal. Go figure!
I did not recognize Taft as written by Ann Patchett. For me it was reminiscent of Walter Mosley’s crime/mysteries (Leonid McGill), though not as well written. It is about an African American ex-drummer who manages a bar in Memphis, Tennessee and his relationships with the other characters in the story. There is a young girl who comes to the bar wanting a job (and getting it) and her drug addicted brother who is likeable until he isn’t. The relationship that matters most is with his 11 year old son who he pines for when he is taken to Florida by his ex-girlfriend. The story becomes confusing, especially as an audiobook because it constantly transitions between present and past. The past is about Taft, the father of the young girl and her troubled brother, and is somehow being told by John, the bar manager, who knows him only by the stories told him by the young girl and her brother. Then a shooting happens and what was previously hard to believe becomes somewhat ridiculous. The audiobook is read by J. D. Jackson, who did an admirable job, overall, but the time transitions and the Taft story were ever so confusing, perhaps more so as a listener.
Ok, in rereading this review, I have been rather critical and it would appear that I didn’t like it, when the truth is that I enjoyed it a great deal. Go figure!
December 19, 2020
A bar on Beale Street in Memphis, managed by a black, middle-aged, former musician, who has given up performing to please the mother of his son, has all the markings of a sad story, a “blues song� as the front cover identifies.
What keeps this novel from becoming a classic tragedy is, simply, Ann Patchett's writing. This second novel, written in 1994, depicts Memphis between eras. Property values in the city have increased, tourists are filling the clubs on Beale Street, but race still defines opportunity. John Nickel, the protagonist, is surrounded by characters who understand the culture of Memphis and know the value of hard work, the importance of substantial relationships.
“There was not one kind word to be said about Memphis that day.�
For whatever reason, John Nickel had refused to marry the mother of his son eight years before despite his unconditional love for Franklin. Marion made her demand on him: give up the drumming and get a reliable job, which he did. Then she graduated from nursing school, moved on and beyond him, moving to Miami with Franklin.
Nickel is a pragmatist. Even when others talk about his sacrifice, giving up a music career, he is not wistful or sentimental. His focus is on earning a living and being a good father, present in his son's life. He is a good, decent person and has developed a relationship with his son's grandparents who hope against hope, that their daughter will move back to Memphis with their grandson, and their daughter will marry Nickel.
An almost 18 year old and her 17 year old brother appear at Muddy's, the bar Nickel manages. “Carl and Fay were the brother and sister in the fairy stories, the pretty white babies holding hands in the forest. Everything in the world was waiting to eat them up.� Ironically, while Nickel feels responsible for offering them fatherly protection, he becomes attracted to Fay, and the plot evolves, almost taking down Nickel with it.
This is John Nickel's story, told in first person narrative, but it is also Taft's, the father of Fay and Carl, dead only a few months of a heart attack. This thread, John Nickel's imagining of Taft's time with his family, reflects Ann Patchett's literary power. Taft's focus on being a good father parallels John's beliefs, and Patchett does not allow either one of their voices to get lost in the transitions. ”You had to keep them with you, close, where you could keep an eye on things. It wasn't possible for me to look after all of them, not every day, every minute, the way they needed looking after.�
The last three pages, an imagined afternoon outing with Taft and his children years before, was poignant and heartbreaking knowing how hard he worked to be a good father, how much he loved his children, how vulnerable both were since his sudden death.
A rich story, memorable characters, a city I love, and grown ups making grown up decisions are just some of the reasons this novel made its way into my heart. “The thing was, you had to choose. Pick one job and do it right. I was picking Franklin.�
What keeps this novel from becoming a classic tragedy is, simply, Ann Patchett's writing. This second novel, written in 1994, depicts Memphis between eras. Property values in the city have increased, tourists are filling the clubs on Beale Street, but race still defines opportunity. John Nickel, the protagonist, is surrounded by characters who understand the culture of Memphis and know the value of hard work, the importance of substantial relationships.
“There was not one kind word to be said about Memphis that day.�
For whatever reason, John Nickel had refused to marry the mother of his son eight years before despite his unconditional love for Franklin. Marion made her demand on him: give up the drumming and get a reliable job, which he did. Then she graduated from nursing school, moved on and beyond him, moving to Miami with Franklin.
Nickel is a pragmatist. Even when others talk about his sacrifice, giving up a music career, he is not wistful or sentimental. His focus is on earning a living and being a good father, present in his son's life. He is a good, decent person and has developed a relationship with his son's grandparents who hope against hope, that their daughter will move back to Memphis with their grandson, and their daughter will marry Nickel.
An almost 18 year old and her 17 year old brother appear at Muddy's, the bar Nickel manages. “Carl and Fay were the brother and sister in the fairy stories, the pretty white babies holding hands in the forest. Everything in the world was waiting to eat them up.� Ironically, while Nickel feels responsible for offering them fatherly protection, he becomes attracted to Fay, and the plot evolves, almost taking down Nickel with it.
This is John Nickel's story, told in first person narrative, but it is also Taft's, the father of Fay and Carl, dead only a few months of a heart attack. This thread, John Nickel's imagining of Taft's time with his family, reflects Ann Patchett's literary power. Taft's focus on being a good father parallels John's beliefs, and Patchett does not allow either one of their voices to get lost in the transitions. ”You had to keep them with you, close, where you could keep an eye on things. It wasn't possible for me to look after all of them, not every day, every minute, the way they needed looking after.�
The last three pages, an imagined afternoon outing with Taft and his children years before, was poignant and heartbreaking knowing how hard he worked to be a good father, how much he loved his children, how vulnerable both were since his sudden death.
A rich story, memorable characters, a city I love, and grown ups making grown up decisions are just some of the reasons this novel made its way into my heart. “The thing was, you had to choose. Pick one job and do it right. I was picking Franklin.�
January 25, 2020
My least favorite of Patchett’s books. A sad slow moving tale.
August 12, 2020
I was worried as I was going to the earlier books in the Ann Patchett canon, that I would find them less interesting, or less well-written. I, of course, was wrong.
Taft is the story of a man named John Nickel, who runs a bar in Memphis Tennessee. When we first meet him, he is first meeting a girl named Fay, and hiring her to be a waitress. That this is a mistake is some thing that Nickel knows almost immediately, but why it’s a mistake makes for a very interesting story.
Here we have another of Ann Patchett’s ad hoc families. Two, in fact. John’s bar family, and his former partner’s family. Marion was never his wife, but she is the mother to his only son, Franklin. Franklin, it seems, is the only person Nickel loves in the whole world.
When Fay reveals that she has a brother named Carl, and Carl starts coming around to the bar, Nickel finds himself in the odd position of surrogate father - first to Carl, then to Fay. There are so many complications in this arrangement; not the least of which is that Carl and Fay Taft’s father is dead. In trying to make some sense if his own messy relationship with Marion, and his need to connect more with his son, Nickel weaves a story about Taft, his own surrogate, in the days before Taft’s death.
This is a novel about fatherhood, and how being a good father is sometimes knowing when to get help. The front story of Nickel and Marion and Cyndi from the bar is fantastic, but so is the invented story of Taft, and what happens when you ignore the warning signs of some catastrophic event. Pstchett’s love of created families, false histories, and strange parents seems to begin here, though I do have one novel left. Once more!
Taft is the story of a man named John Nickel, who runs a bar in Memphis Tennessee. When we first meet him, he is first meeting a girl named Fay, and hiring her to be a waitress. That this is a mistake is some thing that Nickel knows almost immediately, but why it’s a mistake makes for a very interesting story.
Here we have another of Ann Patchett’s ad hoc families. Two, in fact. John’s bar family, and his former partner’s family. Marion was never his wife, but she is the mother to his only son, Franklin. Franklin, it seems, is the only person Nickel loves in the whole world.
When Fay reveals that she has a brother named Carl, and Carl starts coming around to the bar, Nickel finds himself in the odd position of surrogate father - first to Carl, then to Fay. There are so many complications in this arrangement; not the least of which is that Carl and Fay Taft’s father is dead. In trying to make some sense if his own messy relationship with Marion, and his need to connect more with his son, Nickel weaves a story about Taft, his own surrogate, in the days before Taft’s death.
This is a novel about fatherhood, and how being a good father is sometimes knowing when to get help. The front story of Nickel and Marion and Cyndi from the bar is fantastic, but so is the invented story of Taft, and what happens when you ignore the warning signs of some catastrophic event. Pstchett’s love of created families, false histories, and strange parents seems to begin here, though I do have one novel left. Once more!
November 8, 2019
Patchett writes characters who are emotionally complex and completely genuine. They are real people with complicated lives. Taft is no exception, as this novel is full of characters who tugged at my heart. The only difference between this novel and most of her others is that it was soooo sloooow. Sometimes less action makes room for character development but that isn't the case here. The changes of perspective and time were confusing, I didn't always realize we had switched from the present to the past. I also didn't quite understand the purpose of those flash backs.
Regardless, it's an interesting story and the Patchett's writing is skilled as always. This one just didn't pack much punch for me. I still recommend it for fans of her novels and readers of literary fiction.
Regardless, it's an interesting story and the Patchett's writing is skilled as always. This one just didn't pack much punch for me. I still recommend it for fans of her novels and readers of literary fiction.
November 30, 2022
2.5 stars
It was just ok. I liked everything she wrote about the setting of the book more than the actual characters.
It was just ok. I liked everything she wrote about the setting of the book more than the actual characters.
March 9, 2024
maybe like 2.5 ⭐️ i love you patchy but this one was weird !!!
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