Alix E. Harrow

When a young girl discovers a blue door in a field she views, another world, taking her into a path of discovery, destiny, empowerment, and love. I have read a couple of this authors later books so when I found this one at a book sale and that it was Alix Harrow's first book, I was curious to how much, if any, the writing had changed, plus it was a good price and I had liked the others that I had read...so I gave it a "home". The story centers on a young girl, January Scaller, who grew up under the watchful eye of two men...the wealthy Cornelius Locke who was her father's employer, and Julian, her father whose job it was to travel the world in search of the "odd" object and valuable treasures for his employer's collection. This strange collection is housed in Mr. Locke's sprawling Vermont mansion. January lives what could be considered a "charmed" childhood, but she feels stifled by the "good old boys" club that Mr. Locke and his friends belong to. They all treat her like she's a curiosity, which she kind of is. A lot of that is because she is a mixed-race child with a long, long precocious streak. She is forced to wear elaborate clothes, which she hates...and to show lady-like, docile behavior, which is certainly NOT in any way...her "thing"...nor is the many society gatherings she is forced to attend. Then when she's 17, her father just disappears, and January finds a book that will change her life forever. She has friends; allies, in the persons of Samuel, the grocer’s son; Jane, the Kenyan woman sent by Julian to be January’s companion; and her best friend ever...Bad, her dog. With them, January embarks on an adventure that will lead her to discover secrets about Mr. Locke, the world and all its hidden doorways as well as her own family. The method that the author uses to draw a "picture" of the door with words, was both clever and interesting. (From the book) “Sometimes I feel there are doors lurking in the creases of every sentence, with periods for knobs and verbs for hinges” Vivid imagery can be found on almost every page. The book also has quiet a diverse cast of characters with a very strong lead character. Though this portal is a huge part... actually the backbone of the story...it doesn’t take away from any of the things that help it succeed as an interesting, and well-done story.… (more)