BOOK REVIEW: The Magician's Assistant by Ann Pachett

The Magician's Assistant is the second book by Ann Patchett that I've read (the first being Bel Canto).  The story follows Sabine, the assistant to the magician Parcifal, after Parcifal's death.  It isn't until the will is read that Sabine learns of Parcifal's family in Nebraska, whom Parcifal had lead her to believe are dead.  As Sabine learns more about his family, she finds out more about the man who was Guy Fetters before he became the Parcifal Sabine knew and loved.

At first, I wasn't sure that I would like this book.  The story is a bit slow to gain momentum, and I didn't love Sabine, which made it difficult as she is the narrator.  However, I grew to love many of the periphery characters - Parcifal's partner Phan, his mother, and his sister Kitty - and yearned to find out more about them.

Much of the book focuses on the parallel of the smoke and mirrors and slight of hand present in magic shows with Parcifal and Sabine's relationship, much of which was built on Parcifal's storytelling rather than truth.  Just as the audience doesn't know how the magician does his tricks, Sabine didn't really know as much about Parcifal as she thought.

I found the writing style (at least compared to Bel Canto) fairly plain and not at all thrilling.  I was interested in knowing how the story would end, but there wasn't much in the story pulling me along.

Overall, if you are looking for a book that focuses on family, relational struggles, and the search for self, The Magician's Assistant might be a worthwhile read.  I would give it two out of four stars.