The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Our last bookclub of the year was The Dutch House by Ann Patchett.  In the story, a father acquires an old mansion named after a Dutch couple that used to live there.  The main characters are his daughter, Maeve, and his son, Danny, who narrates the story.  Moving back and forth through time, we follow Maeve and Danny's relationship as they weather the disappearance of their mother and the introduction of a step-mother (and step-sisters).  Together, they work through the struggles of their past and move into adulthood where they reminisce about their childhood but also wrestle with issues such the meaning of family, social expectations, self-identity, and eventually forgiveness. They don't always come to the same conclusions but they have each other every step of the way.

Most enjoyed the book, especially the writing style and the fact that the house itself was a character in the story (although some had trouble picturing what the house looked like).  The plot made some interesting turns that unfortunately not all of us wanted to see. However, I think we all felt that the very ending where we encounter the interaction between the house and a main character's child as an adult was satisfying.

As usual, our discussions were entertaining.  We explored different opinions about whether or not women can have truly platonic relationships with men (derived from our conversation about Maeve's relationship with her boss), thoughts about stepmothers and stepfamilies, and reactions to a mother (warning - spoiler) who would abandon her family to take care of the poor.

We missed Liz but loved getting her reactions to the book from afar.  Bookclub ... I don't know a better way to close out the decade.