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A review by fbroom
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
2.0
This is a story about siblings Danny and Maeve told from the point of view of Danny. His father Cyril buys a big beautiful mansion and surprise s his wife Elna with it. Elna hates it and runaway to India leaving the kids behind. Cyril is your typical absent, silent father from the past. This was 1946 after all. Jocelyn and Sandy take care of the kids at home. Maeve never gets over the fact that her mother left. She was 10 at the time while Danny was only 3 and doesn’t remember much.
Cyril moves on and meet Andrea with her two daughters Norma and Bright. Eventually Cyril marries Andrea who is not liked by Maeve and Danny. Everyone knows that Andrea is only after the house. Cyril dies at 52 leaving behind 22 year old Maeve who was working at the time at some frozen vegetables distributor doing their taxes. Danny was in high school. It turns out that Cyril had left it all for Andrea and or Andrea convinced Cyril to put her name on everything. She kicks Danny out and the siblings now live alone together in some rundown place. The only thing the dad left is an education trust which will ensure that Danny, Norma and Bright will get their education covered. Maeve pushes Danny to go to a private high school and then Columbia and then Columbia Medical School to exhaust the trust.
In all those years we see Maeve and Danny driving by the house and observing it while smoking cigarettes. Too many cigarettes were smoked in this novel. Danny gets married and have kids. Life moves on. Maeve is still working at the same old company and doesn’t want to move. Danny finally is done with school and gets into real estate just like his father. He buys and sells buildings and collects the rent just like the old days.
In a weird twist? The mother comes back right when Maeve was having a heart attack in the hospital. Danny is angry but Maeve is happy her mother came back. She doesn’t care and forgives her mother. Moreover, the three of them go back to the Dutch house where the mother insists in going in and saying hi. Andrea thinks Danny is his dad. She is sick. Norma is now a pediatrician who has left her career in Palo Alto to take care of her mom. Bright is no longer in the picture because she left to Canada for good. The mother decides that Norma and Andrea need their help? Maeve gets upset and demands her mother not go back there and stays with Maeve who needs her. But the mother does go back and helps out Andrea and Norma. All is forgiven?
Maeve dies at the end and Elna moves to the dutch to help Andrea and Norma. Andrea dies and Elna stays in the house. Norma goes back to Palo Alto. Danny’s daughter, Maeve is now a movie star and gets the house. She throws fancy party at the house. All is good.
I mean I liked the narration. I was drawn to the story but the ending or the last 25% of the book was confusing to me. Forgiveness is something I need to work on myself. Maybe that’s why I can’t get why Danny or Maeve would just forgive their mother. I also don’t get why they were okay with her helping Andrea of all people. I don’t know.
Cyril moves on and meet Andrea with her two daughters Norma and Bright. Eventually Cyril marries Andrea who is not liked by Maeve and Danny. Everyone knows that Andrea is only after the house. Cyril dies at 52 leaving behind 22 year old Maeve who was working at the time at some frozen vegetables distributor doing their taxes. Danny was in high school. It turns out that Cyril had left it all for Andrea and or Andrea convinced Cyril to put her name on everything. She kicks Danny out and the siblings now live alone together in some rundown place. The only thing the dad left is an education trust which will ensure that Danny, Norma and Bright will get their education covered. Maeve pushes Danny to go to a private high school and then Columbia and then Columbia Medical School to exhaust the trust.
In all those years we see Maeve and Danny driving by the house and observing it while smoking cigarettes. Too many cigarettes were smoked in this novel. Danny gets married and have kids. Life moves on. Maeve is still working at the same old company and doesn’t want to move. Danny finally is done with school and gets into real estate just like his father. He buys and sells buildings and collects the rent just like the old days.
In a weird twist? The mother comes back right when Maeve was having a heart attack in the hospital. Danny is angry but Maeve is happy her mother came back. She doesn’t care and forgives her mother. Moreover, the three of them go back to the Dutch house where the mother insists in going in and saying hi. Andrea thinks Danny is his dad. She is sick. Norma is now a pediatrician who has left her career in Palo Alto to take care of her mom. Bright is no longer in the picture because she left to Canada for good. The mother decides that Norma and Andrea need their help? Maeve gets upset and demands her mother not go back there and stays with Maeve who needs her. But the mother does go back and helps out Andrea and Norma. All is forgiven?
Maeve dies at the end and Elna moves to the dutch to help Andrea and Norma. Andrea dies and Elna stays in the house. Norma goes back to Palo Alto. Danny’s daughter, Maeve is now a movie star and gets the house. She throws fancy party at the house. All is good.
I mean I liked the narration. I was drawn to the story but the ending or the last 25% of the book was confusing to me. Forgiveness is something I need to work on myself. Maybe that’s why I can’t get why Danny or Maeve would just forgive their mother. I also don’t get why they were okay with her helping Andrea of all people. I don’t know.