A review by lizzie_wann
The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

3.0

I think I've mentioned I'm not into period pieces (movies mostly), and this book is definitely one. But I found myself really invested in it in the end. It takes place in 1850 in London, and it's full of Dickensian characters. There's an artist (painter) and his friends. There are sisters who toil away in a doll shop, painting the porcelain faces - one is scarred and half-blind from her smallpox battle and the other has a messed-up collarbone from when it broke when she was born. There's the street urchin and his sister who does her work on her back. And there's the curiosity dealer who stuffs dead animals and makes butterfly brooches. And these characters are all loosely connected at first and become moreso as the narrative goes forward.
At first it was hard to get into the story because, period piece, but then I kind of fell in love with the love story between Louis (painter) and Iris (collarbone sister). Felt the relief of Iris and Rose (the other sister) when they talked. Rooted for Albie (urchin) as he hustled to earn money for him and his sister. And I grew terrified of Silas (curiosity dealer). The author did a masterful job of getting into his head and defining his delusions. The third part of the book had me in suspense with every page turn, and I hoped against hope for a good ending.