47 pages 1 hour read

Ann Patchett

The Magician's Assistant

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1997

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Part 2, Pages 277-357

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 2: “Nebraska”

Part 2, Pages 277-299 Summary

Sabine checks in with her mother. She asks her mother about meeting her father. Sabine’s mother tries to avoid answering the question and only gives the basic story: that they first met in Poland in a train station when Sabine’s father shared his sandwich with her mother. They met again later in life when both had moved to Jaffa after surviving the Holocaust.

Bertie’s wedding is one week away; she moves in with Haas. Kitty arrives at Dot’s house, bruised from an altercation with Howard. She tells Dot that she is leaving Howard and moving into Dot’s house with her sons. Sabine helps Kitty to pack the boys’ clothes. Kitty tells Sabine that she wishes her sons had a better male role model.

Part 2, Pages 299-333 Summary

Guy and How are sad about their parents’ latest decision to split. They all realize with shock that it has been days since they have watched Parsifal on the Johnny Carson show, so they quickly sit down to watch the clip again. This time, Sabine cries with Dot and Kitty, mourning her lost love. Later, Sabine starts making an architectural model of her house in