Book Synopsis:
With a love story at its heart, The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone weaves multiple periods and perspectives into a charming, magical story about a mystical dolls’ house. A beautiful, unforgettable mystery from debut author Audrey Burges.
Once upon a time there was a house . . .
From her attic in the Arizona mountains, thirty-four year-old recluse Myra Malone blogs about a miniature mansion – a dolls’ house – which captivates thousands of readers worldwide. Myra herself is tethered to the Mansion by a strange magic she can’t understand – there are rooms that appear and disappear overnight, music that plays in its corridors.
Across the country, Alex Rakes, the thirty-four year-old heir of a furniture business, encounters two Mansion fans trying to recreate a room from her stories. Alex is shocked to recognize his own bedroom in minute scale.
The Mansion is his family’s home, handed down from the grandmother who disappeared mysteriously when Alex was a child. Searching for answers, Alex begins corresponding with Myra. Together, the two unwind the lonely paths of their twin worlds – big and small – and trace the stories that entwine them, setting the stage for a meeting rooted in loss, but defined by love.
My Review:
Ooh i did love this book. It was just what I needed to get me out of the small reading slump I’d got into.
Firstly I loved the fabulous descriptions of the mansion and enjoyed exploring it alongside the characters. I’ve always wanted a dolls house like it so I loved reading about all the little things Myra makes for the house and how she makes them. The house seems both magical and a little sinister with whole rooms appearing and disappearing at times. It made me wonder what the house was really about and how it would fit into the story.
The story is told through multiple narrators and moves back and forth in time as the reader learns more about the history of the miniature mansion. I really liked this as it was fun to find out more about the mansion and get to know the characters more. I loved Myra and Alex, especially as they both seem quite quirky which I always love. It was heartwarming to see the similarities between them and how they could help each other.
The story starts off slowly as the author sets the scene but I soon found myself completely absorbed in the story. I loved the magical elements of the story and found myself wishing I could explore the mansion for myself. The gradual unfolding of the mystery surrounding the house was well done and I liked that the ending wasn’t over explained with the author leaving some of the explanations to the readers imagination.
Huge thanks to Chloe for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book. If you’re a fan of magical books I highly recommend this one.
About The Author:
Audrey writes novels, humor, short fiction, and essays in Richmond, Virginia. Her presence is tolerated by her two rambunctious children and very patient husband, all of whom have become practiced at making supportive faces when she shouts “listen to this sentence!” She is a frequent contributor to numerous humor outlets, including McSweeney’s, and her stories and essays have appeared in Pithead Chapel, Cease, Cows, and lengthy diatribes in the Notes app on her phone. Audrey was born and raised in Arizona by her linguist parents, which is a lot like being raised by wolves, but with better grammar. She moved to Virginia as an adult but still carries mountains and canyons in her heart, and sometimes, when she closes her eyes, she can still smell ponderosa pines in the sun. You can read more of her writing at audreyburges.com and by following her on Twitter at @audrey_burges, on Instagram at @audreyburges, or on Facebook at @aburgeswrites.
Over The Rainbow Blog 