The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

          I have recently read the book: The Miniaturist. The story takes place in Amsterdam, Holland during the late 1600s. The main character, Petronella "Nella" Oortman, is from a semi-influential family riddled with her late father's debts. Nella's mother arranges for her to marry into the single most influential family, that of Johannes Brandt, a wealthy Dutch trader. Johannes seems a bit distant at first, and his sister a bit aloof. The staff of the house was just a mysterious, no one willing to betray each other to the new mistress of the house.

The cabinet house of Petronella de la Court. It gave Jessie Burton the inspiration for the book.

          As the story progresses, Brandt gives Nella a beautifully detailed cabinet house as a wedding gift, similar to a doll house. At first Nella feels slighted, as if Johannes' present was to mock her young age. Then she realizes that the house was actually an exact replica of their own house. Nella decides to furnish her cabinet house by finding a listing for the titular character, the miniaturist. The miniaturist is a shadowy figure that at first remains a mystery. Petronella writes to the miniaturist, requesting specific pieces, and the miniaturist produces the desired furniture. But there's a catch. The miniaturist also produces extra pieces. These pieces were not requested, and bared an uncanny resemblance to things within the Brandt household. Nella is understandably perplexed and worried, but at the same time curious, just as anyone would be. As the plot deepens though, a darker element is revealed. 

          Overall, the book was very enjoyable. It was a light read that kept me engaged with suspense. Although it was slightly predictable, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. A main element of the story that could be improved would be the focus. Jessie Burton broaches many of the controversial topics of the time, some still controversial: racism, homosexuality, as well as women's rights. Also, the main character is not very well developed. A supporting character, Marin Brandt, is characterized very well though, enough to make up for the lacking of a strong main character.

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai #3 - Finished

          Recently, I have finished the book I Am Malala. It has been a very eye opening story. It's hard to imagine that the basic rights of people could be exploited so much. Here in the US, we take our education for granted, constantly complaining about tests and assignments. Over in Pakistan, Malala's desire for an education and her passion for equality almost came at the price of her life.

          Malala describes in her story, how education wasn't the aspect of life being censored and controlled. While at the bazaar (market), her mother and her cousin were nearly attacked simply for not covering their faces. 

          The situation continued to worsen, and seems that this is the result of fear. The people of Pakistan was afraid of the potential repercussions of speaking against the Taliban, and speaking against the government. Malala's father was one of the few ready to step up and let his voice be heard. In fact, he even attempted to rally peoples' support against the Taliban. A poem by Martin Niemöller was referenced to:

"First they came for the communists,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the socialists, 

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.

They they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, 

and I didn't speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics,

and I didn't speak out because I was not a Catholic. 

Then they came for me,

and there was no one left to speak for me"

(Yousaifzai, 73).

          Niemöller had lived in Nazi Germany. As I mentioned in my last post, there are some similarities between the two situations. In both cases, further catastrophe could have been avoided had someone shouted out in protest. Silence is almost as worse as support, since in staying neutral, lives are lost.

          Overall, I Am Malala is definitely a book I would recommend to just about anyone. It really opens one's eyes to the current state of the world, and emphasizes just how free we really are in the US. It forces us to appreciate the small things that we currently take for granted, since in other countries, people are actually dying to achieve equality for all.