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Ann Patchett
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The Dutch House: Nominated for the Women's Prize 2020 Kindle Edition

by Ann Patchett (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 72,533
See all formats and editions
Next, dive into TOM LAKE – the breath-taking newest novel from Ann Patchett

Lose yourself in the story of a lifetime – the unforgettable Sunday Times bestseller
'Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature' Guardian
Nominated for the Women's Prize 2020

A STORY OF TWO SIBLINGS, THEIR CHILDHOOD HOME, AND A PAST THAT THEY CAN'T LET GO.

Like swallows, like salmon, we were the helpless captives of our migratory patterns. We pretended that what we had lost was the house, not our mother, not our father. We pretended that what we had lost had been taken from us by the person who still lived inside.

In the economic boom following the Second World War, Cyril Conroy's real estate investments take his family from poverty to enormous wealth. With it he buys the Dutch House, a lavish mansion in the Philadelphia suburbs. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.

Danny Conroy grows up in the opulence of the Dutch House. Though his father is distant and his mother is absent, Danny has his beloved sister Maeve: Maeve, with her wall of black hair, her wit, her brilliance. The siblings grow and change as life plays out under the watchful eyes of the house's former owners, in the frames of their oil paintings.

Then one day their father brings home Andrea, a new stepmother. Though they cannot know it, her arrival to the Dutch House sows the seed of the defining loss of Danny and Maeve's lives: exiled from the house and tossed back into the poverty from which their family rose, Danny and Maeve have only each other to count on.

'The best book I've read in years' Rosamund Lupton
'Her finest novel yet' Sunday Times
'The buzz around The Dutch House is totally justified. Her best yet, which is saying something' John Boyne
'A masterpiece' Cathy Rentzenbrink
'Bliss' Nigella Lawson
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  1. Print length
    353 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Bloomsbury Publishing
  5. Publication date
    24 September 2019
  6. File size
    2924 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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  1. 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.
    Highlighted by 8,934 Kindle readers
  2. “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.”
    Highlighted by 8,662 Kindle readers
  3. “Do you think it’s possible to ever see the past as it actually was?”
    Highlighted by 3,282 Kindle readers
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Product description

Review

"The Dutch House has the richness, allusiveness, and emotional heft of the best fiction." -- Boston Globe

"As always, the author draws us close to her protagonists swiftly and gracefully." -- Wall Street Journal

"Patchett's prose is confident, unfussy and unadorned." -- New York Times

"A big-hearted, capacious novel..." -- Chapter 16

"The Dutch House is unusual, thoughtful and oddly exciting, as well-told domestic dramas can be." -- Columbus Dispatch

"Patchett's storytelling abilities shine in this gratifying novel." -- Associated Press

"As always, Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature." -- The Guardian

"For Patchett fans who have been waiting for years, it's a worthwhile read." -- Evening Standard (London)

"Ann Patchett spins a dark, compelling fairy tale in The Dutch House." -- Entertainment Weekly

"The Dutch House confirms what we've always known: Ann Patchett doesn't write a bad book." -- BookPage

"This finely textured novel is made up of many such small, intimate moments, yet the effect is sweeping, grand, and lavish--and all deeply moving." -- New York Journal of Books

"This is a serious and poignant story, but also a delightfully funny one." -- Washington Independent Review of Books

"This richly furnished novel gives brilliantly clear views into the lives it contains." -- Kirkus Reviews(starred review)

"You won't want to put down this engrossing, warmhearted book even after you've read the last page." -- NPR

"Expect miracles when you read Ann Patchett's fiction." -- New York Times Book Review

"Patchett is a master storyteller." -- O, the Oprah Magazine

"Patchett's splendid novel is a thoughtful, compassionate exploration of obsession and forgiveness, what people acquire, keep, lose or give away, and what they leave behind." -- Publishers Weekly(starred review)

"A lavishly gifted writer." -- Los Angeles Times

"Patchett writes enviable prose--fluid, simple, direct, clear, and fearless." -- Esquire

"Enchanting." -- PEOPLE Magazine, Best Books of Fall 2019

"Patchett is at her subtle yet shining finest in this gloriously incisive, often droll, quietly suspenseful drama of family, ambition, and home. . . . With echoes of F. Scott Fitzgerald and in sync with Alice McDermott, Patchett gracefully choreographs surprising revelations and reunions as her characters struggle with the need to be one's true self." -- Booklist

"The Dutch House is beautifully written and often tender." -- The Spectator

"A great novelist is on top form with this tale of lost family home." -- The Times (London)

"Subtle mystery, psychological page-turner, Patchett's latest is a thriller." -- Washington Post

About the Author

Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women's Prize in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books. Visit her at annpatchett.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07PZVYMGL
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Publishing; 1st edition (24 September 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2924 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 353 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 72,533

About the author

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Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett

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Ann Patchett is the author of six novels, including Bel Canto, which won the Orange Prize for Fiction. She writes for the New York Times Magazine, Elle, GQ, the Financial Times, the Paris Review and Vogue. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
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Top reviews from Australia

Kindle CustomerGayle
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story we'll told
Reviewed in Australia on 23 April 2020
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Not only was this a great story, the characters were interesting, funny and warm. I felt I could walk inside the house and feel I had been there before, and that I knew all the people as friends. We all need to know how to understand and forgive others who form the circle in our lives.
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Xen
4.0 out of 5 stars Siblings dialogue brilliant, easy, credible
Reviewed in Australia on 22 April 2021
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i enjoyed the dialogue between Danny and Maeve, it was as if one was there listening to them it gave them life.
Danny's thoughts were priceless, natural and believable, just liked him immediately.
The story was intriguing, engaging, well written, delightful at times, and sad at others, easily readable with a feeling of knowing these people,

Then came the ending, it was totally, to my mind, a catastrophe.
i put it down several times, i just could not understand why, this gifted writer would ruin her book at the end when it should have ended soon after Maeve died. bringing the mother in, and "so called tidying up the family and house" lowered the standard of writing and the book.. Big mistake by the author...completely separated the entirety and was an irritation unnecessary to the story. This is what most American authors seem to do.. placation to the absurd. Hopefully as a gifted writer she will perhaps listen to an editor, or keep up the standard of her writing in future books without the drivel at the end. Disappointing. She is a brilliant writer.
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Hannah p
3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great
Reviewed in Australia on 14 February 2020
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While initially I liked the story, it seemed to drag on and I found myself feeling like I was always waiting for something interesting to happen. The book is well written; characters well developed; but the whole book was just lacking something I can’t put my finger on.
4 people found this helpful
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janice
5.0 out of 5 stars The Dutch house
Reviewed in Australia on 29 March 2024
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I loved this book,it was so well written and I felt I was part of the family and could not put it down..it was the first book I have read of this author and I want to read more of her books.well done Ann Pratchett.
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J Gilbert
4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and engaging
Reviewed in Australia on 5 April 2020
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Wonderful and engaging story about a brother and sister and the house they grew up in early in their lives. Ms Patchett weaves a magical dialogue that runs for over 60 years of the Conroy family, told by Danny, the younger brother, about his older sister Mauve who virtually raised him and directed him throughout his life. There are many interesting and significant side characters to round out the story.

There were too many discrepencies in the story and the editing (not sure if it was the Australian Kindle version I read or if it was present in all of the books) for me to give it five stars, maybe 4.5 is closer and the jumping around in time was often disconcerting and not in keeping with the mood or story.

Highly recommended, my first book by Ms Patchett, but not my last. Once again I read this book aloud to my wife, which I feel enhanced the experience.
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Hotzke
5.0 out of 5 stars Unputdownable
Reviewed in Australia on 29 October 2022
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This book filled and emptied my heart more times than I could count. Patchett delivers grief with a punch and joy like a liquid warmth. Descriptive and fast moving, a beautiful story.
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katykay
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed more on second reading.
Reviewed in Australia on 1 July 2022
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I think I should read all books twice. The first time to get to the end and the second time to savour the story. This book resonated with me as I have been both a step daughter and a step mum and each role has its own challenges.

Definitely worth a read if you love a story about family dynamics and all the good and bad that occurs within relationships.
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Client Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Rich tapestry of prose
Reviewed in Australia on 17 October 2020
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If I'm being honest, it took me a few chapters to get into this book. I felt as though I were being talked down to by the narrator. But I'm glad I pushed through that beginning; there was much to enjoy. You're immersed in a rich but broken family life. Somehow the house is the key to it all - or is it a symbol. It exerts a strange fascination, even when it has receded into the background. The book opens up into a kaleidoscope of generations - from the fabulously rich Dutch occupants who commissioned this folly into existence, with their Gatsby-esque parties, to the new generation whose curiosity revives your interest in the past. Along the way, a traumatic experience unites a brother and sister, who are inseperable it seems. Themes play out over generations and the narrative freely passes back and forth chronologically. I felt joy and sadness reading this. A memorable book. I'm glad this was on the reading list of my new book group - I might never have picked it up otherwise.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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J. Foxall
5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing
Reviewed in Canada on 2 March 2023
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I am not a reader and have not read a book for 50 years. I joined a book club and this was the choice. I still did not read. I listened to an audio version read by Tom Hanks. It was well-narrated and wonderful.
One person found this helpful
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Cilmara Dias
5.0 out of 5 stars Ótimo livro
Reviewed in Brazil on 16 January 2022
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Beautifully written
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Karen Carrillo
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, a little bit confusing with the time lapses
Reviewed in Mexico on 22 December 2021
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This is a great book, I already read it and this is for a present.
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UH
5.0 out of 5 stars Wirklich fesselnd, von der ersten Seite
Reviewed in Germany on 2 January 2024
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Es hat wirklich Spaß gemacht, das Buch zu lesen. Gefiel mir besser als Bel Canto.
Sehr empfehlenswert!
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Joel
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting topic
Reviewed in Spain on 7 January 2022
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Hopefully the book has become a good present, I was told the first chapters were very interesting
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