Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

The Dutch House

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This book.  This book was absolutely, totally, completely satisfying.  I loved this book.

If you are a fan of the family saga genre, there is a very good chance you will enjoy it as well.  Cyril makes a fortune in the 50s and 60s by buying and selling real estate.  His unhappy wife leaves him, and Cyril is left to raise their two children Maeve and Danny in a beautiful and historically rich house they call The Dutch House.  The children grow up in an environment of wealth and privilege, albeit motherless and pretty much neglected by their father, but in the capable hands of long-time domestic employees.  Then their father Cyril remarries and everything changes.  

There is so much to this story, and I don't want to spoil anything, so I will just say that I give this book my highest recommendation and urge you to read it.  The character development is unparalleled and the themes of forgiveness, loyalty and the complexity of family relations will stay with you a long while.  The book proved a theory I have long held–our grandparents and parents can never leave us as we become them in spite of ourselves.

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When I finished it, I closed the cover and just sighed.  I wanted to start over again at the beginning and experience it again.

39 responses to “The Dutch House”

  1. Sounds wonderful and my kind of story tale. Thanks a lot for the recommendation!
    Mary

  2. Sounds wonderful and my kind of story tale. Thanks a lot for the recommendation!
    Mary

  3. Sounds wonderful and my kind of story tale. Thanks a lot for the recommendation!
    Mary

  7. I love Ann Patchett. Just bought this as a gift for my mom. But I’m definitely going to read it first! Can’t wait.

  8. I love Ann Patchett. Just bought this as a gift for my mom. But I’m definitely going to read it first! Can’t wait.

  9. I love Ann Patchett. Just bought this as a gift for my mom. But I’m definitely going to read it first! Can’t wait.

  10. Your review makes the book sound very interesting. I’ve been hearing/reading about it for awhile, so you may have pushed me take a look for myself!

  11. Your review makes the book sound very interesting. I’ve been hearing/reading about it for awhile, so you may have pushed me take a look for myself!

  12. Your review makes the book sound very interesting. I’ve been hearing/reading about it for awhile, so you may have pushed me take a look for myself!

  13. This sounds like a wonderful book and I w will check for it at the library.
    I’ve been reading Lucinda Riley’s stand-alone books and have found them very enjoyable.
    Hugs!

  14. This sounds like a wonderful book and I w will check for it at the library.
    I’ve been reading Lucinda Riley’s stand-alone books and have found them very enjoyable.
    Hugs!

  15. This sounds like a wonderful book and I w will check for it at the library.
    I’ve been reading Lucinda Riley’s stand-alone books and have found them very enjoyable.
    Hugs!

  19. I’m so happy you enjoyed The Dutch House. The writing, the story, every aspect, just wonderful. This is my favorite read of 2019.

  20. I’m so happy you enjoyed The Dutch House. The writing, the story, every aspect, just wonderful. This is my favorite read of 2019.

  21. I’m so happy you enjoyed The Dutch House. The writing, the story, every aspect, just wonderful. This is my favorite read of 2019.

  22. Thanks for the recommendation. I just put it on reserve at our library. It may take a while because there are quite a few people ahead of me, but they have quite a few copies. Sounds like it’s worth a wait.

  23. Thanks for the recommendation. I just put it on reserve at our library. It may take a while because there are quite a few people ahead of me, but they have quite a few copies. Sounds like it’s worth a wait.

  24. Thanks for the recommendation. I just put it on reserve at our library. It may take a while because there are quite a few people ahead of me, but they have quite a few copies. Sounds like it’s worth a wait.

  31. I love Ann Patchett! Bel Canto is one of my all time favourites! I have ordered The Dutch House. Thanks for the recommendation! Very much enjoyed the photos of your trip!

  32. I love Ann Patchett! Bel Canto is one of my all time favourites! I have ordered The Dutch House. Thanks for the recommendation! Very much enjoyed the photos of your trip!

  33. I love Ann Patchett! Bel Canto is one of my all time favourites! I have ordered The Dutch House. Thanks for the recommendation! Very much enjoyed the photos of your trip!

  34. I was involved in a brief discussion on another site about keeping and purging physical books. I love my hardbound books and have a shelf full of favorites. I also have some of the favorites in Audible. I don’t have a Kindle. The site below was referenced and says we don’t own the books we buy for Kindle and other sites, we only rent them. I’m old enough to remember 8-track tapes and I’m worried the technology will change so the Kindle and Audible may cease to exist in favor of some new technology. Keeping Hardbound books seems more comforting to me. What do you think? Amazonhttps://www.nbcnews.com/technolog/you-dont-own-your-kindle-books-amazon-reminds-customer-1C6626211?fbclid=IwAR0Csl_guyjt0fqdrIfWgHcquBljwpshOYbU2aAN1kC8UNsZ9YOipcDOW2E

  35. I was involved in a brief discussion on another site about keeping and purging physical books. I love my hardbound books and have a shelf full of favorites. I also have some of the favorites in Audible. I don’t have a Kindle. The site below was referenced and says we don’t own the books we buy for Kindle and other sites, we only rent them. I’m old enough to remember 8-track tapes and I’m worried the technology will change so the Kindle and Audible may cease to exist in favor of some new technology. Keeping Hardbound books seems more comforting to me. What do you think? Amazonhttps://www.nbcnews.com/technolog/you-dont-own-your-kindle-books-amazon-reminds-customer-1C6626211?fbclid=IwAR0Csl_guyjt0fqdrIfWgHcquBljwpshOYbU2aAN1kC8UNsZ9YOipcDOW2E

  36. I was involved in a brief discussion on another site about keeping and purging physical books. I love my hardbound books and have a shelf full of favorites. I also have some of the favorites in Audible. I don’t have a Kindle. The site below was referenced and says we don’t own the books we buy for Kindle and other sites, we only rent them. I’m old enough to remember 8-track tapes and I’m worried the technology will change so the Kindle and Audible may cease to exist in favor of some new technology. Keeping Hardbound books seems more comforting to me. What do you think? Amazonhttps://www.nbcnews.com/technolog/you-dont-own-your-kindle-books-amazon-reminds-customer-1C6626211?fbclid=IwAR0Csl_guyjt0fqdrIfWgHcquBljwpshOYbU2aAN1kC8UNsZ9YOipcDOW2E

  37. Ok… I ordered the book and it arrived yesterday. Now to find time to sit and read! I look forward to a good story.

  38. Ok… I ordered the book and it arrived yesterday. Now to find time to sit and read! I look forward to a good story.

  39. Ok… I ordered the book and it arrived yesterday. Now to find time to sit and read! I look forward to a good story.