I'm a big fan of Ann Patchett, so I stuck with this book and was happy I did. It wasn't as wonderful as some of her other books, but I enjoyed it and passed it on to someone else (which I don't do if I don't like the book). Certainly not a waste of time.

I'm not certain why Ann Patchett considers this her favorite book, but I didn't feel that it was my favorite of her books. I'm a big fan of this author, and her talent definitely shows in this book. However, it has an unfinished or loose-string kind of feel to it, that isn't intentional. It is a good read, and I will always read Patchett's novels for her excellent writing.

This story effortlessly unfolds, patiently, without pretension: young Fay, yearning for her father, falls in love with Nickel, a middle-age man yearning for his son. The more Fay asks of Nickel, the more Nickel is drawn into the destructive elements of Fay's family, until tragedy strikes. Nothing about the story feels artificial. Woven through the narrative is the story of Fay's father, a humble man with extraordinary empathy and inner strength who nevertheless suffers an early death. His spirit presides over the paths of the other characters as they struggle to find stability. This compelling story is beautifully wrought and evocative. A wakeful opiate.

This is a very quick read, but I was dissatisfied after finishing the book. I was initially intrigued that a white woman was writing from a black males perspective and I wondered how believable it was going to be. Turns out, not very. I just never understood why the main character was making the decisions-radical and unorthodox-that he was making. I liked the main character and the themes he intended to embody, but nothing seemed to come together with the story. The reader knows a lot of personal details about the characters, but yet I never was able to relate to any of them. I was very conflicted with the presentation of John's loyalty, love, and protectiveness for his 8 year old son while at the same time he was longing sexually for a 17 year old girl. Just doesn't seem like two things that would so strongly be going on at the same time in one person. Maybe this was the point, but I didn't relate to it, and I didn't like reading about it. I would choose another one of this author's books to spend my time on.

I'll keep this very short since many of the other reviewers do a good job of summing this book up - Patchett can write, maybe better stylistically than anyone today, but it's not enough her to cover up a weak plot. The story about a black bar manager named Nickel who becomes involved with a brother and sister tandem that ultimately results with him shot in the shoulder seems to lack the kind of emotional intensity that Bel Canto and Patchett's other work has. The writing is clear and has a wonderful swaying quality to it, so it's easy to read, but caring about any of the characters takes a back seat to beautiful writing. Ayn Rand said that the problem with much of fiction is that it is so steeped only in description, to the point that none of it will be remembered in 50 years, and this may be the perfect example of that. Beautiful writing is not always enough to carry a book. The racial tension, although tangible, is hard-pressed to understand considering the lack of a firm time setting. I have no full understanding what year this is taking place. So, for Patchett fans like myself, I would say read this because it's written by a clearly gifted writer, and don't let this books shortcomings cause you to lose excitement for her next work.