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.

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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.

My Review

I wasn’t too sure when I started this, but by the end I knew it would become one of my favourite books of the year.

It’s set over two timelines – Head Curator Tildy Barrows at the beautiful, archival Belva Curtis LeFarge Library (known as the ‘Bel’) in San Francisco, in 2024, and artist Cora Hale from her arrival in Paris before the Great War until her death in the 1970s. Seventeen-year-old Cora fled the United States to escape a possible scandal and criminal investigation. She knows she can never go back. But instead of painting portraits under commission as she intended, she finds herself creating a dollhouse for Belva LeFarge, as a testimonial to her life.

In the meantime, Tildy makes an exciting discovery – two huge dollhouses in a locked secret room. It’s a mystery that needs solving – it could save the Bel from closure – and Tildy is determined to put on an exhibition to draw in the crowds. But who created these masterpieces? She only has the initials CH on the dollhouses to go by, until things take an unexpected turn.

There is so much here to unravel, and how does Tildy’s mother fit into the picture?And why is there a miniature of her in one of the dollhouses? Because everything in the dollhouses reflects real life and carries the secrets of its patrons.

I absolutely adored this book. I’ve seen reviews saying there wasn’t enough historical background – I think the author assumes we know enough about the two world wars not to need it – and others that say there is too much description. I feel that nowadays many readers want action to move the story forward like a film, but if that’s the case, then this wonderful book won’t be for you. It needs to be savoured and read with love. As for the comments about not having ‘warnings’ about the ‘sapphic’ relationships, please, it’s 2025, get over it.

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours

About the Author

A native New Englander, Elise Hooper spent several years writing for television and online news outlets before getting an MA and teaching high-school literature and history. Her debut novel, The Other Alcott, was a nominee for the 2017 Washington Book Award.

More novels—Learning to See, Fast Girls, and Angels of the Pacific—followed, all centered on the lives of extraordinary but overlooked historical women.

Hooper now lives in Seattle with her husband and two teenage daughters.