Two beautifully written novels are my September book selections. I have selected both because they are written about fairly ordinary people and the influences and events that shaped their lives.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett tells the story of a brother and sister raised in wealth and privilege whose lives are altered irrevocably with the second marriage of their father. Although this is not my favorite Patchett novel, I would not have wanted to miss reading it. What is of interest and fascination is the examination of how one event can impact choices and life direction. The brother and sister in many ways remain stuck in the past, spending many days sitting in front of their childhood home, The Dutch House. Although they were forced out, they never really leave it behind.
Another
favorite author, Ann Tyler, creates a similar theme in Clock Dance. The difference is more than one event arguably shapes the
main character’s life. The story is written in sections and follows Willa from
childhood, through early college, middle age, then late adulthood. Deeply passive,
Willa puts everyone else’s needs before her own and allows others to shape her
choices and thus her future. Once, having had a gun pressed into her ribs, she
even allows others to dismiss it.
Each section reveals a moment that becomes a
crossroad that dictates her path. In the last section, the character, nearing
old age, finally makes a choice that dramatically alters her final days. The
novel poses interesting questions about the nature of fulfillment and how we
shape our destiny.
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