The Dutch House is a 2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist written by Ann Patchett. It tells the story of a brother and sister, Danny and Maeve who
grew up in a mansion known as the Dutch House. Patchett's storytelling abilities are second to none and her characters manager to hold
your attention through 5 decades of their lives. There is no central plot as such, and the novel just takes us through their lives as young
children all the way through their adulthood into middle age and beyond. We get to see them grow, how they are shaped by the world around
them, their reactions, their triumphs and their losses and all the while, their childhood mansion - the Dutch House maintains an ever looming
presence over them and the reader. It's wonderful as a character study as everyone in the novel has wildly varying personalities and it can
make for an interesting discussion in a book club. The language is beautiful and the storytelling is vivid enough that you will feel yourself
being transported to suburban Pennsylvania or downtown New York where most of the novel is set. Overall, it's a good read for those who
are fans of good writing but don't necessarily need a thrilling plot with page turning action. This is a book to curl up with on a lazy weekend
and just let the writing take you over.