In The Dutch House, Danny attempts retracing the early hurts of his childhood through his memories of his stepmother, Andrea. If you enjoyed The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes or American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, you will most definitely enjoy The Dutch House.The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Patchett, Ann. Add The Dutch House to your Goodreads list.A must read!Ī special thank you to the amazing Jonathan Ball Publishers for the opportunity to review this book. This is an emotional read laced with love, loss, forgiveness and trust.

This book will stay with me long after I read it and the emotions attached to it leaves an imprint on your heart. MaeveĪnn Patchett is a phenomenal writer and The Dutch House is an absolute masterpiece. We look back through the lens of what we know now, so we’re not seeing it as the people we were, we’re seeing it as the people we are, and that means the past has been radically altered. How often in our own lives do we cling to what hurt us the most but find some sort of comfort in the familiar pain.īut we overlay the present onto the past.

That emotional connection made the story feel more real. I liked that Danny and Maeve sat across from the Dutch House in her car years later, reminiscing about the past. This is the first book I read by Ann Patchett and I enjoyed every single page. As the circle of life started with Danny, in the sense that he told the story, it was completed by his daughter May. Maeve is unmarried and no love interests were ever mentioned. As time passes, Danny gets married and has two children, Kevin and May. The story moves from past to present and we see a brother and sister fighting heartbreak, suffering, sorrow and pain and finding ‘home’ in each other. Danny and Maeve were two stepsisters richer, but they soon realised that Andrea didn’t care for them, she was only interested in the Dutch House with its glass windows and beautiful ceiling. Then their father remarried, but his wife new wife Andrea with her two daughters was all about the house. First, their mother left Danny, Maeve and their emotionally distant father Cyril to go to India. The Dutch House was their childhood home, but it wasn’t filled with happy memories. Through his eyes, we experience this beautifully written family story about Danny and his older sister, Maeve’s journey from childhood to adulthood with the Dutch House casting an ever-present shadow over their lives.

The Dutch House is told from Danny’s point of view.

Book review the dutch house