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""This beautiful page-turner kept me reading all night.” —Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library
""This one’s an absolute gem.” —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen
When a young librarian discovers historic dollhouses in a hidden room, she embarks on an unexpected journey that reveals surprising secrets about the lost miniatures.
Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco, is meticulously dedicated to the century’s worth of inventory housed in her beloved Beaux Art building. She loves the calm and order in the shelves of books and walls of art. But Tildy’s life takes an unexpected turn when she, first, learns the library is on the verge of bankruptcy and, second, discovers two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses.
After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Époque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney’s bustling Burbank studio in the 1950s. As Tildy unravels the mystery, she finds not only inspiring, hidden history, but also a future for herself—and an astonishing familial revelation.
Spanning the course of a century, The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a warm, bright, and captivating story of secrets and love that embraces the importance of illuminating overlooked women.
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“With deft interpretations and stunning vocal control, Emily Rankin and Caroline Hewitt bring this fascinating mystery to life. The casting is on point, bringing enough variation to the main characters to allow easy differentiation…Together they enliven this intriguing and compelling audiobook. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
“Lush, atmospheric settings, interwoven narratives, and exploration of historical details. Hooper’s heartwarming story explores the connections between memory and legacy as it shines a light on the often unseen and unappreciated labor of women in the arts.”
— BooklistBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Elise Hooper is the author of several novels, all centered on the lives of extraordinary but overlooked historical women. Her debut novel, The Other Alcott, was a nominee for the 2017 Washington Book Award. A native New Englander, she spent several years writing for television and online news outlets before getting an MA degree and teaching high-school literature and history.
Emily Woo Zeller is an artist, actor, dancer, choreographer, and voice artist who has won Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration in 2018. She began her voice-over career by voicing animation in Asia. AudioFile magazine named her one of the Best Voices of 2013 for her work in Gulp. Other awards include the 2009 Tristen Award for Best Actress as Sally Bowles in Cabaret and the 2006 Roselyn E. Schneider Prize for Creative Achievement.
Caroline Hewitt loves reading and imagining. Since she couldn’t figure out a way to actually jump inside a novel, acting and adapting are the closest, and most satisfying, ways she has found to inhabit stories—like narrating audiobooks and adapting novels into plays.