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marthaguymaid's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“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.”
I’m so pleased that this was one of my book club reads for the year. It would have been a real shame to miss this one.
I’ve seen some reviews describe the house as a character in this story. I can’t go along with that but as a setting, it is central to this poignant exploration of family love and loss.
On the surface, it’s the sibling relationship that seems most important in this novel but for me, that was just another version of the parent-child dynamic that The Dutch House is really about. For our narrator, Danny, his older sister Maeve takes the place of the mother he barely remembers. Their difference in age, memories and childhood experiences drive this family history that spans about 50 years in post-war America.
There is a wicked stepmother and two step-sisters, household help as extended family, a physically absent mother and emotionally absent father.
While the ending was too tidy for my tastes, that was more than overcome by the compassionate, character-driven whole.
A highly recommended read but readers should beware triggers, especially around abandonment.
I’m so pleased that this was one of my book club reads for the year. It would have been a real shame to miss this one.
I’ve seen some reviews describe the house as a character in this story. I can’t go along with that but as a setting, it is central to this poignant exploration of family love and loss.
On the surface, it’s the sibling relationship that seems most important in this novel but for me, that was just another version of the parent-child dynamic that The Dutch House is really about. For our narrator, Danny, his older sister Maeve takes the place of the mother he barely remembers. Their difference in age, memories and childhood experiences drive this family history that spans about 50 years in post-war America.
There is a wicked stepmother and two step-sisters, household help as extended family, a physically absent mother and emotionally absent father.
While the ending was too tidy for my tastes, that was more than overcome by the compassionate, character-driven whole.
A highly recommended read but readers should beware triggers, especially around abandonment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcoholism and Dementia
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