‘An utterly delightful and enthralling read’.

The story journeys through the life of the Conway family telling the tale of an undeniably strong family bond between siblings Danny and Mauve Conway and the impact of multiple major life events they endure in and around their childhood home ‘The Dutch House’.

When thinking about our book club meet up I knew there would be so many facets to explore! This novel delves into so many themes:

Family Bonds
Abandonment
Poverty & Riches
Love & Rejection
Heartache & Grief
Restoration & Bitterness
Justice & Revenge

You are probably thinking how can one novel cover so much? The story is told over the course of five decades through the eyes of Danny. I chose to listen to the audible version of this book which was wonderfully narrated by Tom Hanks. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him as he brought a sense of familiarity and warmth to the storytelling.

Other book reviews of The Dutch House have likened the story to a fairytale. Interesting I thought. On reflection I would have to agree, it certainly has all the elements to make a good fairytale; a stepmother with her wicked temperament, set around an extraordinary 1920’s mansion, two abandoned and orphaned siblings, however The Dutch House is so much more than a formulaic fairytale. Dive into the world of the Conway family and the house and see for yourself. Whether you are observing the house from inside or outside in much the same way sister and brother Mauve and Danny did time and time again there is an enthralling, thrilling tale to read, one you must not miss out on.

So much of the lives of the characters changed over the time period, yet only one thing remained the same was The Dutch House itself: unaltered, silent.

This is the first Ann Patchett novel I have read and I am going to delve into some more as I really enjoyed her writing style and character development. I have heard only great things about Bel Canto her fourth novel...opps, another one hits the #tbr pile. #bookwormproblems