The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

How to Find Us: Look for the light-up M.

Agenda:
12:00 - 12:30 Introductions, Food & Drink Orders
12:30 - 2:00 Book Discussion (questions below)*
2:00 Wrap up

*If it’s too noisy for us to hear each other, we will break up into small groups to talk about the book using the questions below. To make the discussion more engaging, we will choose questions from each category to answer.*

Discussion Questions (website)
Category: Warm-Up Questions
Let’s ease into conversation by asking gentle questions that are easy to answer and help us to get to know each other better.

1. What did you think of this month's book?
2. Would you have picked this book for yourself if you saw it at the library?
3. Have you read this genre before? Would you try another book in the same genre?
4. Who was your favorite character and why?
5. What was your favorite moment of the book?
6. What would you have changed about the plot if you could re-write the story?

Category: Connective Questions
Let’s use the plot of the book to share something about ourselves and relate the story back to ourselves.

1. Have you ever travelled to the destination described in this book? Would you want to?
2. How are the main characters similar to you?
3. Have you ever experienced a challenge like the one described in this book?
4. Which character would you most want to have lunch with and why?
5. How would you have handled the problem the main characters encounters?
6. If you could give the main characters a piece of advice, what would you say?

Last Category: Playful Questions
Once we’ve worked through everyone's thoughts on the plot and characters themselves, let’s break out some playful questions to end the conversation on a high note.

1. Would you thrive in this time period? If you could be anyone in that time, who would you be?
2. Play Casting Director: Who would you assign to play each role for the movie?

About the Book:
Ann Patchett, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Commonwealth, delivers her most powerful novel to date: 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.

At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.

The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakeable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.

Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together.

Throughout their lives they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.

Disclaimer:
By attending this event, you agree that you are participating voluntarily and assume all risks related to your participation. The organizer is not responsible for any injuries, loss, or damages that may occur during or as a result of this event.