The Miniaturist

By Jessie Burton

Book Club this month left me with this book. A story of secrets, of deception. Not of spies and treachery but of the everyday life of society-family living in Amsterdam in the seventeenth century. I was intrigued to think of the mirrors of this family with how we, in today's world, project an image of ourselves, of our lives. Yes, our lives may be laid bare on Facebook or Instagram but are they really? the photos, the comments, the replies all go through that filter of "What will people think of me?" "How can I portray my best-self?"

Synopsis

There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed…
 On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives at a grand house in Amsterdam to begin her new life as the wife of wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt. Though curiously distant, he presents 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 ring eerily true.
As Nella uncovers the secrets of her new household she realizes the escalating dangers they face. The miniaturist seems to hold their fate in her hands – but does she plan to save or destroy them?

Author

Jessie Burton was born in 1982. She studied at Oxford University nd the Central School of Speech and Drama and has worked as an actress and a PA in the city. She now lives in south-east London.

Other books

The Miniaturist (2014)
The Muse (2016)