Sabine was very much in love with her husband, Parsifal, when he died unexpectedly. A handsome, affectionate, and charismatic man, he was also gay. For Sabine, it was love at first sight, which he hired her as his magician’s assistant.
Sabine lived with Parsifal and his lover Phan before Phan died from AIDS. Parsifal was also diagnosed with AIDS (this was the 90s when it was a death sentence), but he died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm. Sabine is devastated and finds it hard to get out of bed. Phan was wealthy, so she is alone in a large house with Rabbit.
Although Parsifal had told her he was from Connecticut and had no family, Sabine has a shock coming. He does indeed have a family, a mother and two sisters in Nebraska, and his real name is Guy Fetters. She learns from his lawyer that Parsifal has been sending them money and left them some in his will. Sabine hypothesizes reasons why she has never heard of them but decides to call Mrs. Fetters. Eventually, she agrees to take her and her daughter around a visit of L. A. Sabine’s parents think she should have nothing to do with them.
Sabine likes Dot Fetters and her youngest daughter, Bertie. She begins learning new things about Parsifal. When they are leaving to go home, she agrees to visit them and attend Bertie’s upcoming wedding.
This story is an absorbing and touching one. Sabine learns to deal with her grief and finds out more about Parsifal. His family hears stories from her about their exotic-seeming life. The truth about why he left Nebraska is a difficult one, but Dot Fetters has regretted not trying to find him.
I love this novel. I thought I had read it before when I picked it up for A Century of Books, but it was unfamiliar. Patchett knows a lot about human nature.
What? Me Read? 
I thought this was a really good one from her back catalogue; more people should know about it.
Me, too!
Haven’t heard of this one before. It must date back to before I became aware of Patchett.
Probably. I think it was published in 1997.
I have a friend who swears by Ann Pratchett books, but I’ve never read of her books.
It seems to me that she and Ann Packer reached my consciousness at about the same time, and I used to mix them up. But no longer. She is so good! Packer is a good enough writer, but she doesn’t touch me like Patchett does. Her last few books, especially, have been excellent. I’d say anything from Bel Canto on, but I just recently read this book, which is good, too, and it’s earlier. I haven’t read her first couple books and I missed a couple in the middle.
I read and enjoyed this one many years back, when I first discovered Ann Pachett. It doesn’t measure up IMO to Bel Canto (but then, what does, really?) but it’s definitely worth reading!
I agree.