Our next choice is a brilliant novel by Ann Patchett: The Dutch House.
This novel has generated a tremendous amount of buzz and was an instant bestseller. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, a New York Times Book Review Notable Book, named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2019, and named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, The Washington Post, O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Vogue, and Buzzfeed.
A richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go. The Dutch House is the story of a paradise lost, a tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance, love and forgiveness, of how we want to see ourselves and of who we really are.
It’s a thought-provoking book that’s also a page-turner.
In addition to being a brilliant writer, Ann Patchett also co-owns the beloved indie bookstore Parnassus Books in her hometown of Nashville. So if you’re ordering the book, please consider ordering it from Parnassus. Or support your own local indie bookstore.
If you want more Ann Patchett, I also particularly love her memoir Truth and Beauty: A Friendship, about her decades-long friendship with writer Lucy Grealy (I’ve read it three times). I also really love her novels Commonwealth and Bel Canto.
These days, of course, we won’t be able to meet in a studio, but through the wonders of technology Ann Patchett will join Elizabeth and me to talk about the novel for the episode 281 airing July 8, 2020. So get reading!
Do you love audiobooks? Tom Hanks performs the audiobook, and several people have told me that it’s great.
What are your questions or insights about the book? Add them in the comments, or share them on social media using #happierpodcastbookclub, and we’ll incorporate them into the interview.
Remember: whenever it is and wherever you are, there’s always a book waiting for you.
