Cyril Conroy, through wise real estate investments, is able to purchase the home of his dreams.  However, his wife, who thought she wanted to be a nun until Cyril pulled her out of the convent, despises everything about the Dutch house.  Her son, Danny, is a baby and her daughter, Maeve, has just started school when she leaves the Dutch house forever.  Danny, the narrator of the novel, describes what happens to the family after her departure.

The Dutch House is a good story.  The characters are realistic except for the evil step mother and even the family home has a singular personality.  I think Ann Patchett has written another best seller, although I felt the ending was a bit abrupt.