This post may include Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Length: 352 pages
Amazon
{A Bit of Backstory}
Single Sentence Summary
Ann Patchett has written a simply gorgeous story of a brother and sister, their amazingly close lifelong bond, and their love for the house they grew up in.
From the Publisher
“At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves…”
The Draw
- Need I say more than ANN PATCHETT?
- Decades long story of siblings exiled from their home.
- Fairy tale-like themes to the story.
{My Thoughts}
The Dutch House has cemented Ann Patchett at the very top of my favorite authors list. I have loved so many of her books including Bel Canto, State of Wonder and Commonwealth, but for me The Dutch House tops them ALL. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. This IS my number one Ann Patchett book, but I can’t tell you much about it because I refuse to rob anyone of the wonderful reading experience I had as her story unfolded before me. I had intended to savor the story, to stretch out my reading of it. I failed. The Dutch House was just too compelling, too immersive. I got lost in her story and nothing else mattered until I’d reached the end.
Make no mistake about it, The Dutch House is a love story, but a very different kind of love story. It’s the story of the lifelong bond between Danny and his older sister, Maeve. These are siblings who truly care about each other throughout their lives, often putting the other before all others in their decision-making. If there is any dysfunction between the two, it lies in that bond, but I found it very refreshing.
“…then she turned and went back inside, leaving me to stand in the swirl of leaves and think about what I owed her. By any calculation, it was everything.”
The other love story in the book is that of the relationship Danny and Maeve have with the house they grew up in, the Dutch House. To both that home means everything and they never can let go of their feelings for it, making the house itself a character in this novel. Herein lays the dysfunction in The Dutch House, some from Danny and Maeve and their joint obsession, but much more from the house itself, and the reasons for the siblings no longer being welcome there. That’s all I can say!
“My father said we would pick Maeve up and the three of us would have lunch, then he would drive back to Elkins Park without me. It sounded so nostalgic when he said it, the three of us, as if we had once been a unit instead of just a circumstance.”
Whether or not you’re a fan of Ann Patchett, I highly recommend you try The Dutch House. It’s honestly difficult for me to imagine anyone not loving this book. I already knew Patchett as a master storyteller, and this quiet, lovely story is further proof of that.
Grade: A
BONUS INFO: If you’re a fan of audiobooks, you might want to listen to this one. Danny tells the story in first person and the narrator is TOM HANKS. I can only imagine how great that’s going to be. I just may have to listen to The Dutch House, too!
If you liked this book you might also enjoy:
- Commonwealth by Ann Patchett – The story of a stranger who crashed a christening party, forever changing the lives of two families. (my review)
- The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo – Another story of a loving, but dysfunctional family spanning more than 50 years. (my review)
- Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner – The lifelong story of sisters Jo and Beth, growing, changing and trying to keep with the world around them. (my review)
Note: I received a copy of this book from Harper (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.
Disclosure: There are Amazon Associate links included within this post
I keep seeing this around but wasn’t pushed to read it until your review. I haven’t read any Ann Patchett so this seems like a great start, I think I’ll get the audio today!
If you enjoy The Dutch House then you’ll need to go back and read her older books. That’s a great place to be!
Wow- number 1 Patchett! I STILL haven’t read her yet- but plan to change that soon.
Yes, Tina! You need to read Ann Patchett. She’s brilliant and her stories so immersive.
The number 1 Ann Patchett book! Wow, you have sold me. I will get to it. I really liked State of Wonder but haven’t tried her family kind of novels yet.
Num ber one was a hard call to make, but I really loved it. Her family stories are amazing, though Bel Canto was my favorite before and that’s not a family story.
I just finished this, too! It’s not quite my top Ann Patchett, but I did love it. I actually did stretch out the reading–not intentionally, just a lot going on these past few weeks–and I’m wondering if I would have loved it even more if I could have read it in longer stretches and really immerse myself in it.
I’m reading The Most Fun We Ever Had now and all three of your read-alikes are spot-on!
Thanks, Allison. I think you’re right that when reading gets interrupted it can influence our overall feel for a book. I’m curious what your favorite Patchett book is. Before this one, Bel Canto had been my favorite.
Yes, mine is Bel Canto! It’s one of my favorite books ever, so it’s going to be hard for her to top it 🙂
While I’m very much looking forward to this, I’d love to hear from people who go back farther in Patchett’s work than Bel Canto. That was an OK book. State of Wonder was just weird and I didn’t like Commonwealth at all.
I’ve said this before, but go back to Taft, Patron Saint of Liars and (her all time best, IMO) The Magician’s Assistant.
I read an excerpt of Dutch House and think it has the potential to get Patchett back on track.
I’ve never felt like Ann Patchett was off track. I hope The Dutch House returns her to your favor.
I went wayyyyy back!
To Non Fiction, by Ann Patchett;THE STORY OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE.
I So Loved this…..Ive been loving her writing for many years and feel I have gotten to meet the Author, at last,,,,,in this incite inducing book,,,,How she
spreads Love!
Did you read Truth and Beauty, Patchett’s nonfiction account of her long friendship with poet/writer Lucy Grealy? It’s excellent, too.
Can’t wait to try this one, especially after your love of it! I do love Patchett!
Let me know what you think, Diane, and thanks for stopping by.
I just finished this and I agree with everything you said. Can’t believe Tom Hanks is doing the audiobook, I bet it’s amazing. I loved this book.
Just started listening today. Loving Tom Hanks!