The Dutch House by Ann Patchett – Book Review

C 2019

Goodreads Rating: 4.11

I chose to listen to the audiobook of ‘The Dutch House’ by Ann Patchett, read by Tom Hanks. He did an impressive job.

The story centers around siblings, Danny and Maeve Conroy, over several decades. Their father, Cyril, moved his family into the Dutch House after obtaining success and wealth through real estate investments. Family life is not the best for their unhappy mother, who eventually takes off to India to help the poor. Their father remarries, bringing in Stepmother Andrea and her two young daughters. When their father passes away unexpectedly, their stepmother takes over the fortune and the teenage brother and sister are forced out of the Dutch House to live on their own. Sounds like a Cinderella story so far.

Maeve and Danny find that if they are pursuing an education, it will be paid for by an education fund their father created for them; otherwise, everything will go to their stepsisters. Maeve has health issues and no desire or stamina to continue college. She encourages and pushes Danny into going into medicine, which keeps the education funds in their possession. He continues his studies, becomes a doctor, marries, and starts his own family. But his heart is in his father’s real estate business and with his sister. The closeness between the two is never fully understood by his young wife. Then one day, unexpectedly, a familiar woman shows up in the halls of the hospital and their lives takes drastic turns that they never imagined could happen.
The story comes full circle, taking the siblings back to the Dutch House; however, the focus is more on their relationships inside and outside their family boundaries. The story has a sad ending yet a happy ending. I hope you will enjoy it, too.

Ann Patchett is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and is the recipient of numerous awards for her writings. She resides in Nashville, TN with her family. Check out her titles and other interesting facts on her website; https://www.annpatchett.com/.