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

First off, if you were a childhood fan of The Doll People series by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin, this book gave me a strong nostalgic yearn for those; but The Library of Lost Dollhouses is like the adult version of it. Hooper creates this very meticulous world- like the descriptions of the dollhouses by the artist is quite imaginative. I have always gravitated towards books about dollhouses and the secrets in which the houses themselves hold (much like actual houses) or the inhabitants, so this was an enjoyable read.

I felt like was going to truly love this book. I enjoy historical fiction and also I am fascinated by miniatures, but I was not able to enjoy it as much as I thought because I did not feel invested in any of the characters. While the story had promise, I did not feel it was for me. I am sure there will be many that will enjoy it though.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital arc.

A unique and delightful combination of two of my favorite things: historical fiction and miniatures. Elise Hooper does an exquisite job of weaving together this multigenerational tale, which includes romance, suspense and history. The characters are authentic and vulnerable and easy to fall in love with. For fans of B. A. Shapiro and Brendan Slocumb.

I love books about libraries and this book did a beautiful job of connecting stories from the past and present. Beautiful descriptions and a mystery I enjoyed reading!