The Dutch House

Author: Ann Patchett
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 2019
Pages: 352
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin and 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 Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing on 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 unshakeable 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 humor and rage. But when at last they're forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between and indulged brother and over-protective sister is finally tested.

Review: I absolutely loved this character-driven novel. The house is as much as a character in the novel as it is a backdrop.

I found myself falling into Maeve and Danny's world easily and being absorbed by the story. I read rave reviews about the audio version (read by Tom Hanks) as well. 

This was my first Ann Patchett novel, and I have t
o hope many of others are just as good.