Title: The Miniaturist

Author: Jessie Burton

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Harpercollins Canada

Format: Paperback

Pages: 392

Rating: 4/5 stars

*Warning: mature content. Parents please be advised.*

Synopsis (Goodreads):

 

Sold in over thirty territories, this evocative debut in the tradition of Sarah Dunant, Tracey Chevalier, and Emma Donoghue is set among a wealthy, dysfunctional family living in Amsterdam in 1686 during the decline of the Dutch Golden Age

 

“There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . .”

 

On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of the illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways . . .

 

Nella is at first mystified by the closed world of the Brandt household, but as she uncovers its secrets she realizes the escalating dangers that await them all. Does the miniaturist hold their fate in her hands? And will she be the key to their salvation or the architect of their downfall?

 

Beautiful, intoxicating and filled with heart-pounding suspense, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.

 

Review:

Taking place in 17th century Amsterdam, the book follows Nella, a newly married young girl who moves to Amsterdam to live with her new husband, who is a merchant for the Dutch East India Trading Company. She moves into a house that doesn’t feel like her own. Her new sister in law is in charge of the house, as well as in charge of her husband, and Nella feels like she has intruded in her own home. That is, until her husband, Johannes, buys her a miniature house, the same as the one they are living in. Nella orders some things for the house from a miniaturist, and this person starts to reveal more than just tiny figures and furniture. Nella learned to accept her life and gained courage through this miniaturist.

This book started kinda slow, but I was still intrigued and excited to read about life in Amsterdam in the 17th century! The role of the miniaturist didn’t make much sense to me until much later in the book, but the story is still amazing and I would definitely recommend it! You feel a lot of compassion for Nella and her new family, and learned about how business was run in Amsterdam in the 17th century, as well as how life was like for merchant families. I definitely recommend if you enjoy reading historical fiction!

Happy reading bookworms.