The Dutch House - Ann Patchett

I had never read Anne Patchett before, and The Dutch House did not disappoint as my first foray into her work.

The Dutch House follows Danny Conroy and his sister Maeve on a journey from childhood to adulthood, detailing all the trials and tribulations one family faces along the way. Beginning in earnest with their abandonment at the hands of their mother, it is the relationship between the siblings, and the building they call home, that is the beating heart of the novel.

Despite spanning such a long period of time, Patchett’s narrative picks up and drops off the reader regularly enough in the timeline that The Dutch House never feels too long. The warmth and familiarity that builds as the novel progresses draw one in as the reader becomes a part of the Conroy family, despite its dysfunction.

I found myself not wanting to put The Dutch House down - reading into the early hours of the morning, and picking it up promptly upon waking, which is likely the best example I can give to demonstrate my high praise for this wonderful, sure-to-be classic work of fiction.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

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Buy The Dutch House from Apple Books or Amazon.