Book Review: The Dutch House

I follow Kate DiCamillo on Facebook. Several weeks ago, she posted a link to a podcast interview she did with Anne Bogel, author of I'd Rather Be Reading and the Modern Mrs. Darcy blog. I had never listened to a What to Read Next podcast before, but will invest more time in it when I get the chance. I listened to the whole interview between Kate and Anne and came away with several books to add to my endless TBR list. I eagerly snatched up the audio form of Ann Patchett's The Dutch House, read by Tom Hanks, a delightful narrator apart from the strange inflections on the chapter announcements.

The Dutch House presents the story of two siblings, Danny and Maeve, who had spent their early years living in a flamboyant house known as "The Dutch House." Their mother fled the ornate house, a house she apparently couldn't abide, leaving them behind with their father. When their father remarries, it shakes up their understanding of the world even more and they spend the rest of their lives trying to understand the impact of abandonment.

As an introduction to Ann Patchett's work, I mostly enjoyed this novel. The interesting house, both a location and a character, the sibling relationship, the absence of a mother figure, the anxiety of abandonment - all fascinating facets to explore. It was sometimes slow moving and a stretch to believe, but I'd venture forth to try another Patchett novel. I believe I have Bel Canto downstairs, for years unopened.