The Dutch House By, Ann Patchett

"But we overlay the present onto the past.We look back through the lens of what we know now, so we are not seeing it as the people we were, we are seeing it as the people we are, and that means the past has been radically altered." Ann Patchett

The Dutch House frames the story of a family, parents Cyril and Elna with 2 children, Maeve who is the eldest and Danny, her younger brother. Cyril, a real estate investor surprises his wife with the purchase of 'The Dutch House' which he purchased from a cigarette baron. The grandiosity of a fully furnished home with 6 bedrooms, a ballroom, blue delft mantels, ornate mirrors and European treasures is the epitome of wealth. As the story unfolds, his wife Elna despises the house for its grandeur and opulence, and is mortified to live there. She leaves to begin a life of servitude in India.

The story does 'stretch' a tad, which was disappointing. Elna reads an article in the newspaper about Mother Teresa and decides to leave her family on a boat to Bombay. As Elna seems to flit in and out of the story, the children notice and wonder where she is going. Their father Cyril then announces that "she is gone and is best left forgotten." Danny and Maeve are young when she leaves, but they never inquire for more information as to what, where, how, anything...what happened to their mother?

I found this piece of the story a simplistic way to twist the narrative into a tidy tale of wonder, that just happens to erupt as if we did not see it coming...... Elna is found and returns to the story.

The novel spans 5 decades and is narrated by Danny. Danny and his sister Maeve, are inseparable and protective of one another. They are captivated by the house at a young age and are unable to let the nostalgia of ravaged memories go, as they grow up and out of the house.

'We were all so young, we were our best selves." The novel brings back a heavy dose of childhood nostalgia with humor and rage, as the siblings seem entrenched in their own stories of 'The Dutch House' and what it meant to them.

I encourage you to listen to this book on CD as Tom Hanks is the narrator. It was a pleasure to hear the voice of Danny, in his folksy Tom Hankian way. This notably brought the story to life for me, as he did an excellent job portraying all the characters especially, a brief song he sings, when he mimics his young daughter, who's name is "Maeve" of course.

Danny, (i.e Tom Hanks) has a way of summarizing the book which puts it all in perspective. "We had made a fetish out of our misfortune, fallen in love with it."

Other books by Ann Patchett:

Commonwealth 2017
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage 2014
State of Wonder 2012
The Patron Saint of Liars 2011
Taft 2011
What Now? (Essays) 2011
Bel Canto 2008
Run 2008
Truth & Beauty 2005
The Magicians Assistant 1997