I was an obsessive Barbie lover when I was younger (Barbie mansion with elevator, bright pink sports car, the whole deal), so I was super intrigued when I first heard about The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. Set in 17th century Amsterdam—with all the oppressive religious zeal and overblown trading of the Dutch East India Company of the era—The Miniaturist opens with the marriage of young, country-bred Nella to Johannes Brandt, one of the top merchants in Amsterdam. As a wedding gift, Johannes presents Nella with a cabinet-sized replica of their home and charges her with furnishing it. Nella originally orders only a few harmless pieces from an elusive miniaturist, but soon additional packages begin to arrive, and these pieces aren’t nearly so innocent. These unsolicited figures mirror the house’s inhabitants in unexpected and seemingly impossible ways, and as Nella receives more and more pieces, she is drawn further and further into the secrets of her new family.
The Miniaturist is a character cloaked in mystery who seems to have hidden knowledge and power over the rest of the Brandt household, even stretching her cryptic influence throughout the rest of Amsterdam. I loved how The Miniaturist was this omniscient, seemingly omnipresent figure in everyone’s life, steering Nella towards more and more revelations. Jessie Burton’s Amsterdam is both dazzling and dark, with rich dinners and successful merchants juxtaposed with religious fervor and vindictive neighbors constantly watching for sinful behavior. This book is mysterious and tragic, dark and empowering, and I definitely recommend it for fans of atmospheric mysteries in the tradition of Emma Donoghue, Sarah Waters, and Sarah Dunant. Check it out today on Edelweiss!
-Amanda
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