In some ways this is similar to The Casual Vacancy by Rowling, but it is much better done. There is not an awful lot of plot, it is all character - and all of the characters revolve around the guy that died before the story actually began. Unlike the Rowling book, many, even most, of these characters are likeable. The situations are unusual, but the characters work through them and with each other effectively.
The magician dies before the story begins and his assistant of twenty-some years (and wife of six months or so) is central. He married her after his gay partner of many years dies, because he has AIDS also and wants to care for her future.
Enclosed with the magician's will leaving the bulk of his not inconsiderable estate to Sabine, the assistant/wife, is a document establishing a trust for his mother and two sisters. Sabine was completely unaware of the existence of these people. Everything he told her about his life was fiction.
Sabine is a true Californian; her family brought her there as a small child from Israel. The magician's family is a blue-collar bunch living in small-town Nebraska. The development of their relationship is the meat of the story.
As in Bel Canto, Patchett has brought together characters from almost unimaginably diverse backgrounds and lets them all grow through their interactions. Most enjoyable.
No comments:
Post a Comment