The Dutch House: A Read with Jenna Pick

An Amazon Best Book of September 2019: The best authors make the pages they write come to life: their words and characters shimmer with authenticity, motivation, and desire. The story can be simple or complex, familiar or otherworldly, but without connection, it is nothing. In Ann Patchett’s eighth novel, The Dutch House , everyone and everything bustles with vitality. It is a story about the interminable bond between siblings and it is an absolute joy to read. The novel follows a brother and sister who grow up in a fairy tale—a huge house, a loving father, and a caring staff. The only thing that’s missing is their mother, who had a more fraught existence, and fled the pressures of managing the household when they were young. When their father dies and leaves his fortune to their stepmother, the kids are left to fend for themselves, going on to live a drastically different life than they had imagined. The house of their youth haunts them through adulthood, and revenge is their desire—but not in the way you imagine. The Dutch House is moving and thoughtful—a quietly brilliant novel that has quickly become a favorite. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Book 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 Ann Patchett is the author of novels, 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 U.K., 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. 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. Read more