One of the book kits (12 copies) available for book discussions is THE MINIATURIST by Jessie Burton. THE MINIATURIST is a story of 2 different women and their journeys to find a freedom in a repressive, judgemental society. There is a trial, a hidden love, and a miniaturist who predicts the fate of her customers, leaving clues in the furnishings of the dollhouse. The author was inspired to create this story after a visit to Amsterdam; where she visited the Petronella Oortman Dollhouses at the Rijksmuseum, and spun a story from this encounter. The book is historical fiction and a mystery. It's a debut novel that was sold in an 11 publisher auction in London, and has gone on to sell in 29 other countries around the world. |
Here is a photo of the Petronella Oortman Dollhouse from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Petronella ordered her miniature porcelain from China and commissioned cabinetmakers, glassblowers, silversmiths, basket-weavers and artists to furnish her dolls house --a very expensive hobby. Her dollhouse cost as much as an actual house on a canal!