The Dutch House

by Ann Patchett · read May 9, 2026

Review

I liked the brother-sister friendship, the humour of the novel, and the lifelong journey of trying to understand one’s family and place in the world. There were certain elements (like all the reunions) that felt unrealistic.

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.

Julia Rodenburg © 2026