Comment

Feb 02, 2018dnk rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This story follows Nella, an intelligent and adventurous but still naive eighteen year old from the countryside of 17th century Netherlands who needs to make a good marriage after her father dies of drink and leaves her family without resources. She makes what she and her mother believe to be a good marriage to older, distant Johannes who is a successful trader in Amsterdam. She tries to feel her way through her husband's mysterious household- particularly her severe sister-in-law Marin- and the intrigues of the Amsterdam business world. The cabinet house she fills with miniatures are at first an annoying obligation, then something more. Will this hobby enlighten her, or is something devious at play? Nothing, however, can be more sinister than a civilization which praises God and Mammon in the same breath, and woe unto the person who can't balance his or her hypocrisy. The story had a number of twists. The first one was easy to guess, but the others much less so. If Nella can't unravel the mysteries at first, they make sense upon review when we remember that not all rules are applied equally. Some of it is power, some of it is prejudice. Old news, perhaps, but it's always good to question how it should be handled. And not all rules, perhaps, are man's rules. The setting of this story was unique; I admit I haven't read or seen too many pieces of historical fiction set in the Netherlands, which is odd considering their role in shaping the world. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction with a touch of magical realism.