This was an enchanting historical fiction at it's best. I was really interested in these miniature doll houses (I always wanted a doll house as a child and my daughter didn't want one) The writing was so "illuminating" and interesting.. I will read more by this author.

Quick disclosure: I am a fan of Elise Hooper’s novels. (I just read “Fast Girls” for the second time and have read the remainder of her backlist, with the exception of “The Other Alcott” which I hope to read this year.). This newest publication intrigued me and I knew from Elise Hooper’s social media posts how much research, experiential learning (creating miniatures herself!) and passion she put into the story. Hooper’s childhood fascination and love of dollhouses come through each page. As a reader, you feel as though you are standing in front of one of the amazing dollhouse works of art.

However, I was expecting a more direct telling of actual persons during a specific historical period (such as Dorothea Lange in “Learning to See” and the female track and field stars of the 1928 - 1936 Olympics in “Fast Girls”) instead of characters that were “inspired by several real-life figures” as Hooper explains in her Author’s note. There are a few real-life personality cameos (such as Queen Mary and Walt Disney) but overall, Hooper follows a more creative path in the telling of the primary story of the library’s mystery. The novel seems to be Hopper’s love letter to miniaturists and librarians. I sense that this more veiled telling of the story by developing fictionalized characters was a refreshing change for her, so I’m accepting of the different approach.

The Library of Lost Dollhouses successfully interlocks the stories of the dollhouses - both of the creators and the owners - in an engaging way that takes us through a personal history of the last century - from World War I up to the pandemic. The real test of my favorable reaction to the story? I did a double take when walked past the Cleveland History Center and saw that they had an exhibit on miniatures. (Otherwise, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought.)

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read the ARC. I know that readers who enjoy historical fiction, mystery, and/or the fine arts of architecture and interior design will enjoy this journey of beautiful dollhouses.

This is a first by this author and it did not disappoint, I make it a point to read any book that is about books and or libraries/ historical fiction/nonfiction. I am fascinated by the past and books. Books always have a story to tell and if we are patient and wait for it to unwind you’re in for an amazing journey. That can be said for this book.
This book is an intricately, mysterious, adventure that keeps the reader engrossed from the first page. I couldn’t put this book down nor did I want too. Not only that but after I finished I was sadden and felt like a part of me was missing. I wanted to go back and reread this book immediately. Why would you do if you found a hidden room at your job and not only that the room was filled with secrets. Not only secrets but you find something that intertwines with who you are? Would you continue to search for answers or would you leave the past in the past. I would have done exactly as Tildy our main character does. After all aren’t we all driven by the unknown and mysteries in life???

In this dual POV past and present is told through the views of Tildy in 2024 runs a library that, according to very specific set in author's notes. One morning Tildy stumbles upon a hidden room within the Bel library - short for the Belva Curtis LaFarge library. This is where our adventure begins when she finds two gorgeous dollhouses completely outfitted to look like a 1/12th size replica. Where did it come from and what is the story? As the novel unfolds, we learn that the dollhouses represent owners with stories to tell but the timing wasn’t right when they were created.

Then we bounce to 1910: 17-year-old Cora Hale arrives in France after a scandal in NYC. Her parents have both passed and Cora is alone. Cora needs a place to stay where she can pursue her love of art. Madame Belva LaFarge takes an interest in young Cora and makes it a point to find Cora a place to reside.

This is a book that will keep you up at night flipping the pages, your curiosity will not be satisfied till you reach the last page of this book. This book is a wonderful depiction of finding oneself and going to great lengths to become what one wants to be. I highly recommend this book. It will definitely be in my top five of 2025.

"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."

Elise Hooper had me mysteriously discovered dollhouses!

You say Library and Dollhouses, sign me up. This was such a wonderful fictional generation story that included the past and present. The story was told so incredibly well. The jumps from past and present mixed very well telling the complete story and was in my opinion flawless. Thank You Netgalley for the ARC. This is truly at the top of my favorites of the year. It is quite surprising to me as I don't really care for Historical Fiction but in this, I loved it.

The Library of Lost Dollhouses
by Elise Hooper
Pub Date: April 1, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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.
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.
Loved this story!
Tildy is in 2024 but the dollhouses were made during WWI and after, by someone with the initials CH. The storyline covers the early years of the twentieth century when the artist moves to Paris. She meets influential and wealthy women that commission the dollhouses. Their stories plus the details of how and where the dollhouses were built will fascinate you.

Secrets are hidden within these dollhouses as they ‘tell the stories’ of their owners lives. Truly an innovative and provocative plot line.

The title is so intriguing and grabbed my attention right away! But it is also a little deceptive, as although the book is about dollhouses it is about a library where dollhouses are discovered in a secret room rather my first guess of a whole library dedicated to dollhouses.

The Library of Lost Dollhouses is very character-centric, flipping between present day and pre-WWI where the worlds of Tildy Barrows, the present day finder of the dollhouses and the dollhouse maker collide. It’s a delightful tale of how Cora Hale arrives in Paris in 1910 and comes to create masterpieces in miniature in tandem with how in the present day, Tildy learns of the secrets of her family tree.

The story is deeply rooted in the characters, their relationships, and how those relationships frame the creation and ultimate discovery of the dollhouses. The unfolding mystery keeps pages turning while the little details of miniature crafting and WWI history add layers of interesting detail. The dollhouses, while not the main event as the title might suggest, bind the two narratives together for a satisfying reveal.

An engaging read for any historical fiction lover.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the advance reading copy.

After losses and uncertainty in her own life, Tildy Barrows treasures the order and routine of her life as curator of an archival library in San Francisco. Tildy learns two things that upset her quiet groove: her beloved library is on the brink of bankruptcy, and she discovers two long-hidden dollhouses that hold secrets from her own family history. As she delves into the mysteries in the miniature worlds, Tildy uncovers a century's worth of stories, which eventually inspire her to reclaim her own. This dual-timeline novel celebrates those who preserve otherwise invisible moments from history.

Historical fiction is my favorite and tiny things...what's not to love. This is a historical fiction novel that follows Tilly the librarian as she discovers historic doll houses in a hidden room. She embarks ona journey to discover the origin of the dollhouses. A light enjoyable historical fiction novel, that is an easy read without to much emotional heartbreak. I enjoyed it a lot. Thank you to the publisher and net galley for an advanced copy.

I received a free copy of, The Library of Lost Dollhouses, by Elise Hooper, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Tildy Barrows works in a library in California. Library's are great places, dollhouses are amazing things to play with, use your imagination with. This story had a lot of twists and turn, it was a very enjoyable read.

This is an interesting story that goes back and forth in time starting with the early 1900's to 2024. Tildy is a librarian that discovers a hidden room at the library that has antique dollhouses in it that are furnished with very detailed miniatures. As she delves into the history of these dollhouses, many secrets are revealed. Cora Hale is an artist that made dollhouses for women in the 1900's with various secrets. Cora incorporates these secrets into the details of the dollhouses. As Tildy tries to solve the various mysteries, she comes in contact with Cora's great grandson. Ben allows Tildy to go through boxes of Cora's where there may be evidence of Cora's work and a secret she buried years ago. Read this book to see if the mysteries are solved. I received a complimentary copy of the books but was not required to leave a review. #netgalley #thelibraryoflostdollhouses #harpercollinspublishing

Thank you to Netgalley for another great read! Great read feels like an understatement to describe this book. This book is filled with history (not sure if it is fictionalized but it is interesting), romance, and architecture (of course, the dollhouses are center stage). This book is an emotional journey: present day intertwined with history. I like how history affects the present day and we should strive to work on preserving events and people that influence our present day.

I learned a lot about history and architecture because of the details that went into the backstory and creation of making the dollhouses. The concept of making dollhouses to hide secrets of individuals is a concept that I never thought of before. This book is like one of those cakes that has a hidden compartment filled with sprinkles, candy, chocolates. The different layers and surprises in this book makes it engaging to read because it was quite an adventure. There were many scenes that made me tearful and many scenes that made me happy.

I hope you guys give it a chance because I never expected how great this read would be.

Content warning in last paragraph.

The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a fascinating storyline and I truly enjoyed that part of the book. Dollhouses are a curiosity of their own, bringing joy in unexpected ways. This stays true in the book and the craftsmanship described is beautiful. I truly wish this were a true thing so I could go visit these dollhouses. What a joyful premise for a story.

Most of the characters were just delightful, with relatable lives. I wanted to keep reading to find out whether the discoveries were going to continue and what revelations came about from the past. I liked the WWII portions and the secrecy of some of the work that went on. It was, overall, a very nice story to read.

However, it included scenes and way too many parts where a woman was fantasizing, and more, about another woman. This was unnecessary and unpleasant and detracted a ton from the actual story. There is too much to easily skip over it and it was just yucky. There is no reason to include this type of stuff when it takes away from the quality of the rest of the writing. While I liked the premise of the story and the main characters (for the most part) I would not recommend this book to anyone. This kind of content is uncalled for.

Any book with a library setting is a must read for me.

I loved the historical aspect of this book. The settings in Paris and London were very interesting. Learning all that women did to help during war time is fascinating.

The dual timelines flowed well and I loved how it all came together in the end.

Thank you to #Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I enjoyed this book very much. I've never read anything like this before, but it was so good. I would read more by this author in the future. I gave this book 4 stars.

The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper is an absolute delight—an enchanting blend of history, art, and mystery that kept me turning pages late into the night. The dual timeline narrative weaves together the lives of Tildy, a present-day curator in San Francisco, and Cora, a miniaturist from the early 20th century, with intricate precision, much like the dollhouses at the heart of the novel. Hooper's storytelling is rich with historical detail, transporting readers from Belle Époque Paris to wartime England and beyond, while also delivering an emotionally satisfying tale of resilience, creativity, and the hidden stories of remarkable women. If you love books that uncover forgotten histories, celebrate the art of craftsmanship, and offer a touch of nostalgia, this one is a must-read.

This novel will appeal to historical fiction readers—especially fans of art, architecture, miniatures, or women’s history. Author Elise Hooper interweaves the lives of two female protagonists in a dual timeline. Tildy is a modern-day curator at a museum in San Francisco who makes a serendipitous and intriguing discovery. Cora Hale is a miniaturist who designed and built bespoke dollhouses for grown women from World War I into the 1960s. Both women experience tragedy within their families, keep secrets from those around them, and are transformed by the choices they make.

Readers will be quickly drawn into Tildy’s and Cora’s stories. Although the plot is somewhat complex the pace moves at a good clip.

This book could be a great introductory pick for a book club that subsequently reads historical fiction based on other notable women in history who were inspirations for characters in Library of Lost Dollhouses.

It might be a little early to start adding books to my best books of 2025 list, but I'm feeling pretty confident that The Library of Lost Dollhouses is going to end up on that list.

In a small San Francisco museum, the head curator makes a startling discovery--behind a hidden wall are two untouched dollhouses, complete with miniatures showcasing actual homes in the past. With the museum on the verge of a funding crisis, Tildy, the curator, seeks to find the story behind theses dollhouses, piecing together clues within the craft in the hopes of learning more about where they came from and how they came to be hidden in her museum.

The book takes the reader through time, beginning with pre-WW1 France and moving forward, as the past heroine Cora moves to France to escape NYC, discovering a community of arts that helps her reinvent herself. Present day Tildy is left to unravel these clues in the hopes that her museum can somehow be saved. I absolutely loved the story behind this, as it reminded me of a few dollhouse mysteries from my own childhood. There's something about the concept that was just pure nostalgia and I simply could not put the book down.

I thought the book was a nice, cozy read but I think the character development could have been a little deeper. Each individual miniature house could have been its own book in a series. There is lots of potential here. I also wish there could have been more to the ending with Tildy.

Dollhouses and miniatures are some of my favorite things as well as dollhouses, especially antiques. Therefore when I saw this book, I knew immediately that I had to read it. I was intrigued and began my reading of this eagerly.

The writing was easy to read, I loved the history and how-to of dollhouse building, I found the plot engaging, but the characters were a bit too dull for my tastes. The story wasn’t as entracing as I could have wished for. Ultimately, I was left with more questions than answers and I wanted more from this.

Recommended with the caveat that while this reader definitely enjoyed it, I was left wanting more.



Thank you to William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for the DRC