Author: Ann Patchett
Year of release: 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Release Date 24TH September 2019
Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis
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 story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.
Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humour and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.
Review
Author Ann Patchett latest novel takes place in a house with a Brother, a sister, a father, and a nanny inside it’s four walls and a roof, there is one thing missing in this family portrait where is Danny and Maeve Conroy’s mother?
I can remember The first time I laid eyes on The Dutch House in the book store I didn’t care so much about the story it would share I just had to touch it, admire it, I needed to climb into those pages, I needed the house to welcome me never let me leave, can a house be the main character in a book?
Hearing nothing but praise for Patchett’s other works I just knew I needed to visit a world Anne Patchett has created. I knew nothing about this book except how much praise it was getting on social media and book websites.
How I felt: the opening chapters of this book left me a little confused, I’ll admit that for quite some time I was worried that The Dutch House would not become a clear picture in my head and I would be a person who would not be able to join in with all the hype that surrounds this book. As I delved further into The Dutch House thanks to the descriptive writing and Tom Hanks and his mesmerising narration on the Audible platform makes it even more magical if that is even possible?
What makes The Dutch House work: The story is able to keep up the same energetic pace from start to finish, and at the same time cover a number of emotions without skipping on any details. The Dutch house is one of those books that needs to be reminisced about and often, as I look forward to reading it in years to come and discover something new every time. I felt such a connection with these characters and happiness to visit the house
The writing and the clear plot-line is a stand-out as Danny Conroy tells us of his life in great detail, spanning over 5 decades with his sister Maeve the only constant and sole family member by his side after the loss of their parents we are able to see just how close these two are, how much they support each other and how they love each other is obvious but in a good way.
The story I didn’t expect to be so intrigued by this world I will always worry that I’m just not giving the book the praise it deserves.
“Like swallows, like salmon, we were the helpless captives of our migratory patterns. We pretended that what we has lost was the house, not our mother, not our father. We pretended that what we had lost has been taken from us by the person who still lived inside…”
― Ann Patchett, The Dutch House
Things that didn’t suit this reader: is having to be witness to the evil workings of Andrea, somebody needs to put her on the shelf and leave her there, I wasn’t to keen on Danny’s wife ether but I think that is just because at that point in the story I was feeling rather protective of him and she looked down on Maeve.
Highly recommended to readers who love a good story I think it’s a marvellous book if anyone is looking into Ann Patchett books or trying out a Historical Fiction. I feel like putting a genre recommendation or other books similar to this is cheating someone out of this must read. A 5/5 star rating was the only option.