In seventeenth century Amsterdam, society is repressive and restrictive, especially for women. Nella Oortman, a teenager from the Dutch country-side has just married wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt in an arranged marriage. So begins Jesse Burton’s novel, The Miniaturist.
Nella’s life in her new home is lonely and foreign. Her husband, while kind, is away most of the time, leaving her with his unfriendly and grim sister, Marin. But Johannes presents Nella with a surprising wedding gift that will change her world--a cabinet-sized model of their home. Nella hires a miniaturist to provide furnishings for her gift and this elusive artist creates exact miniatures not only of the furnishings in her real home, but also of its inhabitants. The artist’s uncanny replicas have Nella questioning her surroundings and begin her on a search to uncover the secrets that have surrounded the Brandt home for years.
The oppression, fear, and rigidity of life in the puritanical society of the Netherlands in the 1600’s are key to building the mystery and suspense in The Miniaturist. Why is Johannes so distant and always absent? Why is Marin so unapproachable and guarded? Nella’ discoveries lead her to understand that wealth and power cannot always shield or protect, and that to be different is the greatest threat of all.
The Miniaturist is not a romance novel. It is historical fiction that brings to life the cold and damp of life in Amsterdam while exploring themes that are relevant even today.