The Library of Lost Dollhouses: A Novel

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.
This story is historical fiction mystery with an interesting plot involving miniatures that have been hidden for the better part of a century. There is also a dual timeline with two female protagonists from the two different eras: Tilda from 2024 and Cora from the early 1900s. They may be from different centuries but they both learn a lot about themselves. The story will really get you to thinking...what would I do if I were to find a hidden room at my place of employment or my house that was filled with secrets that could potentially save the place where I live or where I show more work? I really loved learning the story of those miniatures.

As a 5-year-old, my grandmother gifted me my dollhouse. It had been hers and her sister's, build by their father that she had brought with her from Ireland. This delicate beautiful replica was nearly 100 years old at that time that I received it; and my mother was horrified that something was going to happen to it. I often wondered in later years, how it ever survived a long ocean trip from Ireland to America. I was so in love with that little house that I would have gladly protected it with my very life. As I got older, I remember making dioramas with my granddad. We created tiny, little decor with intriguing details. Hooper's discovery in the hidden room brought all these memories back. The details given of the dollhouses and the secrets hidden in them had me completely invested.
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When Tildy, the head curator of the Belva Curtis LeFarge Library, accidentally stumbles upon a hidden room, a room which houses the two incredible doll houses, she is surprised, confused, and curious. She knows this library better than anyone, how could she not know about this room, and why are these beautiful pieces hidden? The same day, Tildy learns that her beloved library is on the brink of bankruptcy and in need of some serious repairs. Thus begins the total disruption of Tildy’s quiet and predictable life, as she searches for ways to save the library she loves and decipher the story of the doll houses hidden in the secret room. Her search will take her deep into many of her own experiences and bring her to an understanding of her own personal history.

​It's a story of Tildy’s self-discovery as well as a walk-through history, while beautifully blending truths about the way in which talented, influential women have often been overlooked and undervalued combined with a tale of love, loss, relationship and real life. The doll houses tell their own stories, of the lives of the women who commissioned them and the women who constructed them.

​The transitions move smoothly from the present to the past as each woman tells her own story and the author slowly brings all their stories together enabling the reader to understand and appreciate the secrets that we all carry and the importance of a safe place for each of us to tell our stories.

There was such a sense of hope in this story. If you are a fan of libraries, relatable lovely characters, and complex engaging plots, I highly recommend this one. You won’t be disappointed. show less

I am enjoying all the stories that are being written about overlooked women in world history, whether real or fictional. Elise Hooper's The Library of Lost Dollhouses is another strong addition to this category, and her Author's Note at the end explains the people who inspired her characters.

The story spans a century and is told by two women, one, head curator Tildy Barrows who is passionate about saving the Belva Curtis LeFarge Library in San Francisco. As she described it, I wished I could go there and wander through all the rooms-- marvelous! The second is Cora Hale, extraordinary artist and creator of the most exquisite dollhouses I've ever read about. (I love the Thorne Rooms in the Phoenix Art Museum and have visited them many show more times, so this is a subject that's interested me for a long time.) I love how Cora was able to incorporate women's secrets into the houses she created for them.

Another strong point in this book was the descriptions of how difficult it is to keep a place like the LeFarge Library afloat, especially after the pandemic. As the book traveled from one place to the next, from Tildy's life and then back to Cora's, I couldn't wait until all was revealed. All in all, this is a heart-warming read that's well worth your time.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) show less

The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper offers an intriguing blend of history, art, and mystery, with a touch of romance.

When curator Tildy Barrows discovers two exquisite dollhouses in a walled off room of the Belva Curtis LeFarge Library in San Francisco where she works, she is both fascinated and hopeful. With the historic institute struggling in the wake of the pandemic the find has the potential to boost its funds.

The narrative alternates between that of Tildy, and Cora Hale, an artist from the early 20th century, who is the mysterious creator of the dollhouses. I liked Tildy well enough, though I found her to be a bit bland and passive. I found the women of the historical timeline, which moves from France, to England and show more finally to the USA, to be far more interesting, especially with the knowledge that the author draws inspiration from real life women for several of the characters. Cora’s story is quite busy involving secret sapphic relationships, exile, art forgery, wartime drama, and family tragedy, and spanning almost a century. I feel Hooper links the mystery that connects Tildy and Cora well, but some of the twists in the novel require suspension of belief.

I do think the novel has a small issue with pacing. I found it slow to begin with, and while Hooper’s writing is assured, and rich in detail, it sometimes becomes dense under the layers of description.

What I really drew me to story was the idea of women’s secrets deliberately being hidden within the walls of the dollhouses. If the notion also piques your interest, then I recommend The Library of Lost Dollhouses. show less

Multiple timelines tell the story of exquisitely crafted dollhouses from early to mid-20th century. The concept of the novel was intriguing and laid the groundwork for a delicious way to journal a life story. Stories that could be recorded in no other way, were captured for future generations. The gifted artist at the center of the story could only exist in our imagination with her vast range of talent. I categorize this novel more in general fiction than in the historical fiction genre. Surprisingly, Amazon gets it right with their marketing language describing it as “enchanting fiction with an historical twist”…perfect. A lover of miniatures would appreciate reading about some of the processes used in the creation of minute show more details. Good for a light, uplifting read. If you expect more, you may be disappointed. show less

Tildy is the Head Curator in a library in San Francisco and uncovers a secret room which houses several dollhouses. When she learns that the library has some flaws, notably in its ability to survive, she believes she can help save it.
She begins to investigate the story of Belva Curtis LeFarge, the heiress who established the library. The dollhouses tell the back story of Belva's life and love story.
Her investigation takes her to the East Coast to find out more about the artist and creator of the dollhouses and their significance in history.
Another enjoyable story by Elise Hooper.

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The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper is a novel about a librarian who discovers a secret room with extremely detailed dollhouses that hold many secrets. Ms. Hooper is a published author and writer.

Tildy Barrows is the Head Curator for an archival library in San Francisco created by a very wealthy woman. While doing inventory, she stumbles on a secret room with exquisite, detailed dollhouses.

Tildy realizes these could be the saving grace for the library’s funding and gets the board and local news involved. She stumbles onto an amazing story of Cora Hale, a forgotten artist and her contribution to the English efforts during World War II.

This was a strange show more book that moved from being very interesting to mundane. Nevertheless, it was easy to read and enjoyable.

Right off the bat, I want to say that the lesbian relationships seemed forced, as if the author wanted to just include them for the sake of inclusion. And while I am a big supporter of representation, this one simply seemed forced and not organic, It’s not a major part of the story; it’s just… annoyingly there.

I enjoyed books in a similar vein previously and can say I tremendously enjoyed the parts taking place during the war. The rest, to me, were just place fillers.

After a strong start, the pace of The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper slowed down. The strong, unorthodox women in the historical settings of both World Wars and the Great Depression were fascinating and well-researched.

The book switches points of view between that of the Head Curator and Cora, the artist who created the dollhouses. As I mentioned before, Cora’s story is really interesting, Tildy’s story is less so and is just used to move Cora’s story forward, but I felt the book could have been tighter and more enjoyable skipping that whole part. show less

Interesting story. A librarian finds a hidden room that has 2 dollhouses in it. They are quite intricate. Some sleuthing discovers the builder of the houses and that she has built for other famous women.