Finished for Friday: Dollmaker

Another book this week.  I've been stitching away but don't have any finished projects yet to share.  I've also been helping the kids do massive spring cleaning.  They've done a great job on their rooms.  It's amazing how much stuff can come out of the room of a 14 year old girl.  On to the book.

The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent was a free kindle book a while back.  The Queen of the title is Marie Antoinette and predictably, the book follows the queen and her inner circle to her tragic end.

What makes it an interesting read, is the "crafty" woman of the title, Claudette, who learns dollmaking from her father in Paris before his untimely demise.  The book is full of interesting details about the art of making dolls at that time and their popularity among the upper classes.  Also of some interest, is the interweaving of story lines of numerous real people, such as Madame Tusaud (of wax museum fame) and Marie Antoinette's dressmaker.

This is the first book from this author and although the second half was particularly exciting and fast-paced, much of the writing was amateurish.  Perfect book to read as you nod off to sleep, or sit by the pool.  Numerous stock characters and predictable scenes.

Recommended if you want a light read, are interested in the era of Marie Antoinette, have already picked up this freebie from Amazon, or see this one at the library.  Also a good read if you've ever thought what you would do if you had to make a living from your crafting.  Claudette's choices about quality vs quantity will resonate with every crafter.

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