They do say not to judge a book by its cover, but in this
case we can make an exception. The cover is definitely an eyecatcher. And the
pages between are just as stunning. The story is mysterious, bordering on
eerie. The characters not what you expect, after the first glimpse they become
as intricate and in their own way intriguing and beautiful as the cover that
cloaks them.
I won’t give any of the story away other than that a young woman
arrives in Amsterdam of the 1600s, newly married to a rich merchant, to move
into his grand house, only to be greeted in a cold, if not hostile manner by
his haughty, austere sister and some quite lippy servants. No trace to begin
with of the husband, who, even after an eventual arrival, extends no more
interest in his new bride than a polite handshake. The young woman is
justifiably befuddled and disillusioned – it’s not what she imagined her
marriage to start like. And then her husband buys her this elaborate, extremely
expensive dollhouse, which is a carbon copy of the house she’s just moved into.
The young woman doesn’t know what to
make of any of it. And things get stranger yet. Arguments in the household she
cannot make sense of. Odd glances thrown, but nothing explained. And when she
hires a miniaturist to help her furnish her dollhouse, she starts receiving odd
presents with mysterious messages attached... and the dollhouse starts
influencing her life in an uncanny way she can make as little heads or tail of
as the rest of her new environment.
What really makes this book in the first place is its almost
tangible atmosphere. You are transported to a historical Amsterdam that
glitters in frost and the mysteries woven through its fabric, you inhabit the
characters like your own skin. And do I sound silly when I say it *feels*
Dutch? I’m a sucker for being transported to places in my mind and given a
taste of their essence, and this a Ben and Jerry’s of a sampler. For a debut,
it’s absolutely mindblowing. It’s a stunning movie for the mind and the senses.
It was our book of the month for good reason, and just for its beauty it’s
worth buying the hardback, because ... well, because as a paperback or even
e-book, it will just feel like having Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker on a shredded
old tape. I got a netgalley proof, and I’m buying the hardcover, baby.
Toodles,
Patty
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