Home is the eponymous Dutch House, a 1922 mansion outside Philadelphia that their father, Cyril, a real estate mogul, bought fully furnished in an estate sale as a surprise for his wife in 1946, when Maeve was 5. “Two siblings, Maeve and Danny Conroy, bond tightly after their mother leaves home when they’re 10 and 3. It is a brilliant and tender tale of the far-reaching ties of love and responsibility that bind us together.” Īnd a combined synopsis of “The Dutch House”: Told with equal measures of humor and heartbreak, Commonwealth is a meditation on inspiration, interpretation, and the ownership of stories. Their childhood becomes the basis for his wildly successful book, ultimately forcing them to come to terms with their losses, their guilt, and the deeply loyal connection they feel for one another. When, in her twenties, Franny begins an affair with the legendary author Leon Posen and tells him about her family, the story of her siblings is no longer hers to control.

Spending summers together in Virginia, the Keating and Cousins children forge a lasting bond that is based on a shared disillusionment with their parents and the strange and genuine affection that grows up between them. “Spanning five decades, Commonwealth explores how reverberates through the lives of the four parents and six children involved. Here, I will compare both books’ themes of the sibling bond and forgiveness.Ī short synopsis of “Commonwealth” to start: I feel that these two books are incredible renderings of family life and struggles, but at the same time paint the complicated picture of love amongst siblings. I found after reading “Commonwealth” and most recently finishing “The Dutch House” that the theme of sibling relationships runs through both novels. Her complex story writing may be my favorite of all fiction writers. Either way, Ann Patchett has the ability to deeply affect a reader. This time, I read her highly-acclaimed and made-into-a-movie, the novel, “Bel Canto.” I felt amazed again, although instead of in a state of wonder in a miraculous way, I felt left in a state of wonder and disbelief. As I usually do, I followed immediately after that with another book by the same author. I started by reading “State of Wonder,” felt amazed and literally transported to the lands she described ranging from the Amazon river to the woods of Minnesota.

I thought, I want to know what her writing is all about.

Without hesitation, the response from a reader of hers is a response of electricity. When I first started reading Ann Patchett’s writing, it came from the buzz surrounding her books, specifically, “State of Wonder.” I felt like the people I spoke with who had read her books were filled with excitement when they spoke about her.

Commonwealth ann patchett summary