Jessie Burton paints Dutch Golden Age in 'The Miniaturist'

'The Miniaturist'
'The Miniaturist' by Jessie Burton
Book cover courtesy of publisher

Jessie Burton's first novel, "The Miniaturist," is already a bestseller in her native Great Britain.

It was named one of the Book Expo's "buzz titles," which means booksellers who attend the annual conference for the publishing world expect it to be a hit here in the United States. Burton told the BBC that she is "flabbergasted" by the success.

The book is set in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age. It's the story of a young bride named Nella who escapes the boredom of her lonely marriage by furnishing a dollhouse that's a replica of her own home.

From the Entertainment Weekly review:

'The Miniaturist' is one of the year's most hyped novels, and it's easy to see why. Burton conjures every scent and crackle of Nella's world -- even if her heroine sometimes feels like a very 21st-century avatar of 17th- century feminism, and the elements of magical realism never quite manifest. If anything, the book's magic is in its realism, not beyond it.

Jessie Burton will be at the Barnes and Noble at the Galleria in Edina on September 15 at 7:00 PM.

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