Stephanie Sullivan: Review - The Dutch House

July 17, 2024

TITLE: The Dutch House (audiobook)

NARRATOR: Tom Hanks

RATING: ★★★★

Summary (from Goodreads): At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.

The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.

Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.

REVIEW: First of all, I believe Tom Hanks has officially become one of my favorite audiobook narrators. He did such an outstanding job with this book, and I honestly didn't want it to end. This was my first time reading Ann Patchett's work, and my emotions were up and down throughout the entire story. Having a child with Type 1 diabetes, the parts with Maeve struggling with the disease left an all too familiar ache in my heart. I loved every character - even the evil step-witch, Andrea - but Danny and Maeve were my favorites. Between my two parents, I've been through many divorces, so it was easy to sympathize with them and the complexity of emotions they dealt with as children and adults. Patchett's writing is flawless, and I was fully immersed from the very beginning. I look forward to reading more of her work.

2 comments:

SusanJuly 18, 2024 at 4:34 PM
I may have mentioned this before, but I'm also a T1D. It's always interesting to see how the disease is portrayed in books and on the screen. That, and the facts that I liked the last Patchett book I read and I love Tom Hanks, are making me REALLY want to listen to this audio. Thanks for the heads-up!
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