September 14, 2019
The Dutch
House by Ann Patchett
After their
father’s sudden death, siblings Maeve and Danny Conroy are quickly evicted from
the Dutch House, their family mansion, by their vindictive stepmother. They aren’t even allowed to take the things
that had belonged to their own mother who had abandoned the family when they
were young children. Periodically, Maeve
and Danny park across the street from the house and just watch, trying to catch
sight of their stepmother or stepsisters. They are not sure why, since neither wants to
enter the house or speak with the inhabitants.
The obsession with the Dutch House continues throughout their lives, as
does the mystery of their mother.
With its
meaning for each family member, the house itself is actually the main
character, the common thread in the book, the thing that keeps pulling them
back. It’s like the house has some kind of magic, with glass walls (it’s noted several times that an outsider can see
right through the house), a third floor ballroom, and a (hideous) dining room
with a starry ceiling. When their father purchased it, the house came complete with the furnishings, down to the
artwork on the walls and clothing in the closets. Another reviewer mentioned they were creeped out by the cover art, but the painting on the cover is actually part of the story.
The younger sibling Danny is the narrator, and Maeve is the
center of the story of Danny’s life, since she stepped in to fill the role of
their missing mother. Danny has a rather
juvenile world view in that he has never questioned or considered many of the
things about his life (household help Sandy and Jocelyn being sisters, why his mother deserted
the family, his impact on Maeve’s life), long after he should have been mature
enough to figure things out. There is a
fairy tale aspect as well, with Maeve and Danny being a modern-day Hansel and
Gretel, thrown out of their home by their wicked stepmother, spending
their lives longing to find their way home, even having three fairy godmothers
who look after them in the form of Sandy, Jocelyn, and Fluffy.
I loved this
book, and I think it’s of my best reads for 2019. Patchett does such a great job with
characters and big family sagas. The
Dutch House reminded me a lot of Commonwealth, Patchett’s previous
novel, switching back and forth between time periods and locations, and also of
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt in the wide scope of the story. In addition to the fairy tale theme, there is
a lot of history repeating itself and things coming full circle. I think this would be a great book club
selection, since there is so much to discuss.
The only thing to be aware of is that the story is not told
chronologically, so if your book group doesn’t like stories that jump around,
this title is not for you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in return for a review.
