Everyone has particular childhood memories that stand out and shape the story of who they are. But how reliable are these memories, and when should we let them go? These are some of the questions plaguing siblings Danny and Maeve Conroy, the two central characters in author Ann Patchett’s new novel, “The Dutch House” (Harper/2019).
As kids, their father bought a mansion in the Philadelphia suburbs known as “The Dutch House.” The ornate home is their father’s prized possession and the very thing that drives away their mother. Host Anita Rao talks to Patchett about the inspiration for this novel and her creative process. Patchett is the author of seven other novels, three non-fiction books and one children’s book. She is also the co-owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville.
You're not going to divorce your sibling ... That's the bond that you can't get away from. And I think that as a novelist, I'm really interested in the inescapable. - Ann Patchett
She will be at Jubilee Community Church in Asheville on Saturday, Oct. 26th; at Meredith College in Raleigh on Sunday, Oct. 27th; and at Calvary Moravian in Winston-Salem on Monday, Oct. 28th.
Books Ann Patchett Recommends:
- The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
- The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
- Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl
- The Resisters by Gish Jen (out February 2020)
- The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (out March 2020)