Taft

In "Taft," a New York Times Notable Book by Ann Patchett, ex-jazz drummer John Nickel grapples with the loss of his son and the challenge of being a good father while running a bar in Memphis. His life changes when he hires a young waitress, Fay Taft, whose troubled brother, Carl, brings complexity and tension into his world. As Nickel becomes increasingly obsessed with reconstructing the life of Fay's deceased father, the story unfolds into a poignant exploration of love, family, and the instinct to protect those we care about.