William Morrow
320 Pages
Sometimes I pull books from the shelves at the Lockport Public Library and have no real intention of taking them home. Sometimes, I just pull them off the shelf to get an inkling of where the publishing world is at that moment. When I first grabbed The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper, I had no intention of checking it out. It was one of the newest books on the shelves when I saw it. So, of course, I had to give it a quick summary read, like I do with all the books that have been released since my last visit. I shrugged when I read the back cover, thinking that it was a solid maybe if I didn’t find anything else in my search. Thankfully, I ended up taking it home with me.
This novel definitely falls more onto the chick-lit part of the spectrum, but not so much so that it would be weird for me to read it. (Thankfully, I have no qualms about reading books that are outside my comfort zone.) I thought the premise had a great amount of potential. In the end, it wasn’t the narrative or characters that grabbed me as much as the idea of using dollhouses in the manner in which they were used in this book. It was simply fascinating. Keeping that in mind, there were other parts of the book that I liked, but the dollhouses themselves intrigued me in a way that I never would have guessed.
Tildy Barrows is the head curator at a museum in San Francisco where she discovers that the museum is in danger of bankruptcy. It’s faced with either selling off precious artifacts or relinquishing some control to outside investors. Neither of these solutions are attractive to Tilda in any manner, shape, or form. Both would lessen the integrity of the museum, as well as her ideals.
It is under these clouds of uncertainty that Tildy accidentally discovers a secret room with contents that could help save the museum. She finds two dollhouses, perfect miniatures of actual places. These exquisite examples could be a new attraction to the museum. But as Tildy explores these dollhouses closer, she realizes there is history and hidden messages which could impact her far greater than she could have ever imagined. Her search for the truth could unearth things that she isn’t prepared for.
It’s the secrets hidden in the miniature dollhouses and the treasure hunt they send Tildy on that I found the most intriguing part of this book. It was a very clever way to propel the story, and I loved every minute of it. I couldn’t wait to find out what the next clue was. This was the best of a treasure hunt, mystery, and character story all combined. Elise Hooper writes engagingly and makes you want to learn more. I was eager for each new unveiling as the story progressed.
In all honesty, The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper almost didn’t come home with me from the library. However, I’m glad I kept it in my hands as I explored the rest of the shelves. This book was simply magnificent. She has some other historical fiction books that I want to read. I’m sure I’ll be grabbing them from the library very soon. When I find an author I like, I tend to try to read everything else that they have. What better way to support the artists and encourage them to make more than to enjoy all their works?
Craig Bacon loves treasure hunt stories. This one was hidden inside another story, which makes it all the greater to read.