By Megan Thomas
Jessie Burton is establishing herself to me, from The Miniaturist and previously The Muse, as an icon of historical fiction. Or rather, contemporary fiction set distinctly within the past, so while not necessarily being about the socio-political events of the time, her stories are heavily influenced by them. Her plots and characters are captivating, and significantly they are richly detailed with historical accuracy, without it ever seeming clunky or like they have been written purely as a way to prove the research was done.
In this novel, we are transported to 1686, Amsterdam. Nella, an 18-year-old farmer’s daughter, has entered into an arranged marriage with Johannes, a merchant trader of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) who, despite his age and charm, has never married. Nella soon realises this is for a reason, but doesn’t have much choice with how to deal with the secret, or all the others in which she will soon be embroiled…
Nella has a morbid distraction: a miniature wooden dollhouse that she has been gifted, a tradition of 17th century Dutch society, which helped showcase the owner’s social standing through its furnishing and detail, albeit a pretty dang creepy one. As she begins to order furnishings for it from someone listed as a Miniaturist, she is soon far out of her depth. The Miniaturist starts sending her more than she has ordered, mimicking details of her life in increasingly intrusive and alarming ways. Who is this Miniaturist? How do they know what they know? And why won’t they leave her alone?
BUY THE BOOK: Waterstones | Amazon
Disclaimer: I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please get in touch if your preferred online platform is not listed here – I’ll see what I can do!
Read more historical fiction:
Have You Read This 