I loved Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto and Tom Lake, so I can’t figure out why it took me so long to get around to reading The Magician’s Assistant. Guy Fetters is an abused teenager from Nebraska who leaves home. After erasing his past, he becomes a successful magician, renaming himself Parsifal. Sabine has been the assistant in his act for years, loves him in an unrequited romantic way. He finds love with Phan, a Vietnamese man. Both develop AIDS. Eventually, he marries her to ensure that her future is ensured. After Parsifal dies, his lawyer reveals that the magician still has family in Nebraska.
Sabine, who has wondered for years about Parsifal’s past, is intrigued by the news. Two of the family members come to Los Angeles to visit, and she eventually goes to Nebraska as well. The trip provides her a way of getting to know the boy who turned into the man she knew, but didn’t really know, despite their years together. She becomes a bit of a detective to piece together his life. The reveal of the family is gut-wrenching yet heart-warming.
The story is low-key, but the writing hypnotizes you, and you keep reading. As always, Patchett’s prose is mesmerizing and gorgeous.
*********************
The Magician’s Assistant (Harper, September 17, 2004) is available through:
Your local independent bookseller | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
*********************
You can read my review of Tom Lake here.
*********************
This post contains affiliate links to third party sites. These can help you visually identify books I recommend. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small compensation at no additional cost to you. This offsets some of the cost of maintaining this blog.
