"The Dutch House" has been on my extensive reading list since its publication in 2019. Ann Patchett is one of my favorite contemporary writers and she is one author who has yet to disappoint me. "The Dutch House" was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and was chosen as a New York Times Notable book
Built by the wealthy VanHoebeeks in the early 20th century, the Dutch House embodies great wealth and prosperity and is itself a major character in this book. When the self-made real estate tycoon, Cyril Conroy, has an opportunity to purchase the fully furnished mansion in the suburbs of Philadelphia, he takes it. His overarching hope is to surprise and please his beloved wife, Elna. He wants Elna to be surrounded with great beauty and the comfort of a house staff -- a lifestyle far removed from the poverty they both experienced as children. Little does Cyril know, the Dutch House will create more pain for those he loves than he ever imagined.
After many attempts to leave Cyril, Elna will finally run away to serve the poor of India. In her wake, there are two young children, Danny and Maeve. After this maternal abandonment, big sister Maeve becomes Danny's primary caretaker and fiercest protector. Though Danny has few memories of their mother, Maeve's memories are much stronger and sustain her throughout her lifetime. Danny, on the other hand, treasures his weekly outings with his father to collect rent from their renters. It is during this time together Danny learns the most about his father's strength of character. Though reserved and distant, Cyril is also a deeply caring and ethical person, which makes his wife's abandonment and future family tragedies even sadder.
Cyril eventually remarries the cold, calculating Andrea. Andrea is as enamored with the elegance and opulence of the Dutch House as much as Elna was disgusted by it. Cyril and Andrea are married only a few unhappy years before his life unexpectedly ends. With Cyril gone, Andrea quickly kicks the now teenaged Danny and Maeve out of the Dutch House and wants nothing more to do with them. With no inheritance except funds for Danny's education, the two must rely on each other.
The emotional depth Patchett explores with her characters in the face of life's complexities make this the critically acclaimed novel it is. It is also what Patchett is famous for. The library has this title in both print and digital formats.
Claudia Cook is the director of the Missouri River Regional Library.