Book 1 of The Miniaturist Duology
Eighteen year old Petronella (Nella) Oortman arrives at her new husband’s home in Amsterdam. Johannes Brandt is not home, but his sister Marin is. Nella had expected to be the mistress of the house, but instead she is made to feel like an interloper.
Her husband gifts her a dollhouse, an exact copy of the house they live in on the Herengracht. Then Nella receives things for her dollhouse – little dolls that resemble all the inhabitants of the house and objects. It’s as if the sender of the parcels knows the future…
This book is so beautifully written. Nella yearns for Johannes to touch her, to treat her as his wife, not a guest in her own home. When she learns that Johannes is a homosexual, her heart is broken – and quite frankly, my heart did break for her.
The punishment when society learns of Johannes’ sexuality is so severe. It’s hard to believe that such a punishment was doled out in the Netherlands as we have always been considered a progressive country.
I’ve read this book a few times now, and I keep finding new things that I love about it.
Read for The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 27: Features a Magician
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
