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The Dutch House

by Ann Patchett

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜† 4.10 (571ย 324 ratings)
2019 ยท 352 pages ยท ~5h 52m read ยท Fiction

Set over five decades, this evocative novel centers on Danny Conroy and his older sister, Maeve, who are exiled from their childhood home-the opulent Dutch House-by their stepmother. The siblings form an unbreakable bond as they navigate adulthood, constantly drawn back to the memory of the estate that shaped their lives. Patchett explores themes of inheritance, loss, and the reliability of memory. It is a beautifully written tale about the stories we tell ourselves and the difficulty of letting go of the past.

A popular book with millions of readers worldwide.

Atmosphere: HistoricalVibe: TenderPacing: Relaxing
familyhistoricalcoming-of-age

Notable Quotes

"I see the past as it actually was," Maeve said. She was looking at the trees. "But we overlay the present onto the past. 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."
"There are a few times in life when you leap up and the past that you'd been standing on falls away behind you, and the future you mean to land on is not yet in place, and for a moment you're suspended knowing nothing and no one, not even yourself."
"We had made a fetish out of our misfortune, fallen in love with it."

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