I don't know why I haven't read anything by this author before, despite being very aware of her work. This was a wonderful introduction. Fascinating to have the house as such a central character of the book. All the characters felt true to me. Totally lost patience with the siblings visiting the street outside the house for so many years, yet it fit the story so well. The return of the mother was such a turning point for the story.

Another luminous novel by Ann Patchett. In re-visiting her works, it feels to me like her books are about family -- the family you are born into, the family you choose, or sometimes, the family that leaves you.

But the main character here is the title character -- the Dutch House. This magnificent mansion is purchased as a surprise by a man for his wife. And different characters move into and out of the house over the decades, but the house remains surprisingly unchanged.

Her genius in describing normal daily interactions in families, between siblings or spouses, is understated and emotionally articulate. The plot always has a few surprises. She is a thoughtful and compelling novelist and storyteller.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest reviews.

This felt a bit like reading Somebody Else’s Favorite Book and trying to make it mine.

The Dutch House is exceptionally well written, evocative, and populated by complex and fascinating characters. In short, it’s a very, very good book. I’m just not sure I liked it all that much.

This is not due to flaws in the writing or content, but rather that stories that are almost 100% a relationship study are just not my bag.

The saving grace for me was Maeve, who was one of the most endearing and riveting characters I have encountered recently.

Even the villains of the story are interesting to an extent, though there was a bit too much of a forgiveness plot thread here for my taste. I was irritated by the return of Danny and Maeve’s mother. Though her children handled her intrusion back into their lives realistically, it’s not nearly as satisfying as it would have been if they had kicked her neglectful, selfish ass to the curb. Still, that’s about my taste and not a flaw in the plot.

My only real gripe with the book from an objective standpoint was that the descriptions of the house really don’t do justice to how coveted and revered it was by the characters. I can appreciate that for the kids, its appeal need not be more than that it’s “home,” but whatever created the universal attraction to it was a bit undersold in the descriptions of the building and its contents.

Highly recommended if this is your type of book in general, but if your tastes run similar to mine, not sure it’s one to go outside your wheelhouse to read. That said, I’m not at all sorry I picked it up and remain impressed by Patchett’s characters.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of The Dutch House by Ann Patchett.

Danny and Maeve lived a comfortable, yet strained life at the lavish Dutch House, a home purchased by his wealthy father at the height of his success. But the happiness faded quickly after their mother leaves, and Andrea, their step mother moves in. After the passing of their father Cyril, Andrea quickly exiles the children from the Dutch House, and Danny and Maeve are forced to make ends meet on their own, while spending their entire lives confronting their past.

This reminded me of a very obscure "Cinderella" story, at least at the beginning. It definitely outlines how few simple decisions can bring on loads of pain and instability. This story also outlines just how strong a brother/sister bond can be, either because, or in spite of tragedy. I found this story to be beautiful and heartbreaking, a lovely tale, very well written.

Bonus: if you listen to it, you get to hang out with Tom Hanks for a while.

This was a heartwarming book about family and loss, love and forgiveness spanning several generations. beautifully written with characters that come to life, Highly recommend!

The Dutch House is the story of a family, and a very distinguished house, and the ways in which that combination played on everyone’s lives and relationships. It is also a story of the ways in which a person’s life can be altered, hemmed in, defined, expanded, most definitely changed, for good or ill, by significant others and even a place. Also
a story of fighting, or not fighting, those influences to live one’s own life.

And a wonderful story it is. Ann Patchett is an excellent writer, able to capture her characters and settings so well. Some we learn about quickly; others develop or evolve more slowly. The Dutch House is itself a character in this novel as its presence is a factor in much of the major activity throughout. It is an old mansion purchased by Mr Conroy as surprise for his wife who had no idea he had somehow become rich.

In the beginning, there were Maeve and Danny Conroy, children of Cyril and Elna Conroy. Elna has been gone from their lives since Danny was a toddler, leaving him with no memory of her. Maeve, being older, has fond, loving memories. Family rumor is Elna apparently left for India years before. Father seems a somewhat standoff type man, showing occasional moments of warm emotion. True warmth comes from support staff needed to care for the house and children, Sandy and Jocelyn, who provide motherly care. Danny narrates the novel.

Beyond that well...then it is how life develops. I do not want to walk you through the ups and downs and sometimes odd decisions made during the years as Danny and Maeve mature and make life choices. That’s for you to read. And I do recommend you read this book. It’s a primer on the directions and misdirections life can take as people try to deal with the remnants of their childhood. It’s also a very vivid portrayal of the relationship of a brother and sister from the teen years into adulthood, as their lives change.

4.5* - 5*

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Patchett is such a dependably beautiful writer. Set in a Philadelphia suburb I'm very familiar with, I couldn't help but become immersed in the story. It's hard to find fault with such a master.

I love Ann Patchett. I was so very excited when Jenna Bush Hager chose this novel as the pick for this month. Breath taking beautiful cover, words and characters. Loved every page

Before I got more than a page or two into this book, I said to myself, Wow, this is going to be a good book! Myself replied, Of course it is, it's by Ann Patchett. And indeed, this is one of Patchett's best books. The biggest criticism I can level is that it's a little self-indulgent at times, but the characters leap off the page, and are so true to themselves, that any self-indulgence was just a natural part of the progression of the story. I could go on and on about the language and the descriptions and everything else. I could even make a bad metaphor about how picking up this book was like rubbing velvet: it just felt perfect. But I won't. If you like Ann Patchett, you've already read this book. If you've never been introduced to her, this one is a great one to start with.

Actually, my biggest criticism of this book is the cover. I hate the cover.

Danny Conroy and his sister, Maeve, grow up in the architectural masterpiece, or as their mother thought it to be, a monstrosity, that is the Dutch House, a 1920s mansion in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. The house inspired awe throughout several generations of the Conroy siblings watching it. Danny narrated the story. He offered a way in, clear-eyed but offered no way out and away from the house, even though he and Maeve did not live there for most of the years of the story. Family dynamics continued to affect the Dutch House years after the family lived there. It’s full of questions that invite discussions and reactions. The relationship between the siblings is interesting, and how it affected their relationships with others.

Ann Patchett is at her best in this family drama, lightened up just enough with elements of humor and the quirkiness of some of her characters. It is a novel about distance that can exist between parents and children, about the strong bond that can exist between siblings, and how these relationships change and mutate overtime. The story deals with the human need for possessions and what happens to us when we lose those beloved possessions. This is a sweeping, engaging and often thought-provoking novel that readers will clamor for. Beautifully written and atmospheric with characters that you will love and hate. I highly recommend.

Such a good, satisfying read. Wonderful (as expected) writing, and I loved the characters and how their development was entwined over many years with the larger-than-life house. I have a pretty elaborate picture of the house in my mind thanks to Patchett’s mastery of descriptive prose - rich with detail but never boring. I have yet to read anything by Ann Patchett that I didn’t love.

This was an enjoyable novel by a master storyteller. She pulls you into the story by developing her characters and her vivid descriptions of the Dutch House. Their father purchases the house to please their mother who wants nothing to do with the house right from the start. The story centers around the house and it’s effect on the lives of all who lived there. Living a life of privilege versus one of poverty is a central theme presented by the author. #TheDutchHouse #NetGalley #AnnPatchett

THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett (Bel Canto) is the newest novel from this award winning author and advocate for books and reading. Spanning much of the second half of the twentieth century, this story centers around a dysfunctional family and is set primarily in Philadelphia and New York City environs. Siblings Maeve and Danny depend on each other, even as young children after their mother leaves and their aloof father remarries. His second wife arranges to inherit almost everything including the family home. This changes the course of Danny’s life as he eventually studies to be a doctor and Maeve does her best to support him. The character development is strong and while that may contribute to a slower pace, readers will be drawn in by a lingering sense of menace – will these two manage to overcome circumstances and realize their dreams?

THE DUTCH HOUSE is a LibraryReads selection recommended for "fans of Anne Tyler and Anna Quindlen." I concur with that comment -- this title is my personal favorite from the September list. Definitely worth considering for book groups, THE DUTCH HOUSE received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.

I requested this book because of the cover, which I loved, the description of the house because I would love it, and the author whom I respect. The first half of the book was great, but the plot became too dysfunctional in the second half. If it weren't for Maeve, I would not have finished. From early on Maeve is the hero of the story. None of three parents were able to form reliable relationships with the spouse or their children.. Cyril misjudged both wives and ignored his kids. Elna was uncomfortable with the house and the wealth it screamed, so she deserted Cyril, Maeve, and Danny, to take care of the poor in India, Second wife Andrea had two children which she ignored, and married for the house and the money, which she made sure she got. I was puzzled by Cyril's signing away his biological children's rights to his assets, since he had successfully made a fortune in real estate. Danny always said he didn't remember his mom since he was only three when she left. That 's possible but he must have had some type of of subliminal memory, He was a subpar date in college and husband. He was great as a father, but Maeve , the housekeeper, the cook, and the nanny provided that example.

Ann Patchett has done it again with this tale of sibling devotion. Danny and Maeve are victims of an abandoned mother and father who all but ignores them. Danny narrates the story of their lives as it ties into The Dutch House – a storied mansion that their father purchased in Elkins Park. This home is the blessing and curse of their lives. The sign of their father’s success and what ultimately breaks up their family. Emotional and complex, this book will be on our best of 2019 list for sure.

Oh. My. God. This book 🙌🏻 Ann Patchett’s newest book came out today and I couldn’t stop reading it. I read #thedutchhouse and I loved every minute of it. Every. Single. Minute. I did a mix of reading and listening but in the end, I let the cadence of #Tomhank ‘s voice take me away. I was so fully drawn into this story that the world seemed to dissolve away. Maeve and Danny’s story of sibling love and devotion is a heartwarming testament to the love that holds a family together. Their life story, as told around the anchor of their childhood home, The Dutch House, also shows how the mistakes our parents make can impact us for a lifetime. I adored this book. I just, I loved it. That’s all. Thank you to @netgalley @harperbooks @harperaudio and @librofm for my ebook and audiobook copies.

I've read several books by Ann Patchett and mostly enjoyed them, so The Dutch House was an automatic request for me. I was not disappointed.

Danny is our narrator, and this is a story of his family, especially his relationship with his older sister, Maeve. When Danny was very young, his mother abandoned the family. His father made a killing in real estate and bought this huge, ostentatious house outside of Philadelphia called The Dutch House as a surprise for his wife. She absolutely hated the house. Is that why she left?

The people who knew her, those that cooked and cleaned for her, said she was a loving, caring mother. So why did she leave? The story is really an examination of the lives of these siblings and how their mother leaving and other events affected them. And what a strong pull the past still has on these two.

Their father remarries and odd woman, who may have married him just for the house. She brings along two small daughters. I don't want to say too much more, but eventually, Danny and Maeve are kicked out of the house and are penniless.

The blurb for The Dutch House states it is "filled with suspense." I beg to differ. This is a meandering tale, rich with characterizations that become a part of the reader. You do want to find out how these characters fare after this nontraditional upbringing. The reader feels what they feel. That's what it is all about. Patchett is just a good writer that pulls you into their lives. And sometimes makes you want to strangle them!

I didn't enjoy The Dutch House as much as State of Wonder (my favorite adult book of 2014), but I enjoyed it more than Commonwealth (which I didn't finish). If you enjoy Patchett, you should read The Dutch House.

Ann Patchett’s latest novel is all about loss and how it shapes familial ties. Danny and Maeve are siblings who grow up rich and privileged, living in a mansion that is the envy of the neighborhood. Their mother, however, cannot stand living in such a fancy castle of a house, and so she leaves. She goes to India to serve the poor, leaving her husband to care for their two children, one of whom is just a toddler and thus doesn’t remember his mom at all.

When their father remarries, everything changes. The new wife, Andrea loves the house in a way that the first wife never could and moves right in with her two young daughters. When Danny is still in high school, their father dies, and Andrea, seeing her chance to live up to the wicked stepmother trope, kicks Danny out of the house. Maeve, seven years older and already living on her own, becomes his surrogate mom and her home becomes his home as well.

The novel was beautifully written and so easy to get lost in, and the characters were engaging and complex, even the minor ones. I don’t read enough books where a sibling relationship is at that core of the story, and I was hooked from the beginning. Danny and Maeve’s complicated bond reminded me that siblings are the only ones who can truly remember your childhood with you, and even then it’s amazing how different their memories can be.

My only complaint was that the book dragged on a bit in the middle; there were 50 pages or so where the story could have been condensed, but I guess the point was that the book was meant to cover Danny’s whole life, whether some decades were interesting or not. Overall, I would recommend the book as a compelling and smart read for those who love to delve into literary fiction-style family drama.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett is my top 10 favorite nonfiction of the year. I never heard of this author and to be honest what pulled me to read the book was the cover. It’s stunning. The writing and just over all story had me up late night reading. I must have this for my home library. This was an easy 5 star for me.

Thank you Harper Collins & NetGalley for gifting this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I met Ann Patchett in Petoskey the fall of 2016. Prior to then, I had met her dog and visited her bookstore, so it really was about time that I met her. It was at this event that she shared the title of her newest book, which later was changed to The Dutch House.

Now let me tell you something, I know Ann about as well as a reader can without actually knowing her. Contrary to popular belief, this is not because I stalk her (which apparently is what people say when you attend two author events- for separate books I might add) but because I've read her books, watched her interviews, followed her book reviews, and heard her conversations with other authors thanks to YouTube. Perhaps that does sound like stalking... Regardless, it is why I can tell you that her newest novel is soaked in her more than any other novel I've ever read. 

Doctors, divorce, stepfamilies, strangers thrown together, Catholicism, Buddhism, book references... a character eats grilled cheese in a bathtub! A bathtub! Let's be real, the grilled cheese in the bathtub bit was what really screamed Ann to me (although I think she is a vegan now). There are characters with the last name of Norcross, reference to the owners of McLean and Eakin in Petoskey. It was so real that it didn't seem made up at all which is why I can tell you, with some trepidation and a whole lot of guilt, that I didn't love it.

Most authors start with an autobiographical novel and then the pipes get cleared out, creativity flows, and they move on. Ann's first books were not autobiographical, which is why she felt the desire to go back and do exactly that in her novel, Commonwealth.  Commonwealth was brilliant. It was beautiful and brilliant, but we've already been there. We've done that. It's time to move on. The Dutch House felt like a Commonwealth redo to me and it was a let down. 

Authors write for themselves. They write harder things just to see if they can and it doesn't matter that I wasn't a fan. I appreciate all I learned about Ann's approach to this novel by reading Mary Laura Philpott's interview with her. I'd encourage you to read it too because the best bit about attending book clubs is when someone explains all the reasons they loved a book and it encourages you to take a second look. So read her interview and then read the book yourself. What do you think?