The House of Fortune – Jessie Burton

Set in Amsterdam The House of Fortune is very much a sequel to The Miniaturist, despite there being a few years and other books from the author between the two novels. We meet the family on Thea’s 18^th birthday, a motherless child of mixed race brought up by her father, Otto and her aunt, Nella with the help of the live in servant/nanny, Cordelia. All characters featured in The Miniaturist.

The family are struggling financially despite owning a large property in a desirable area of Amsterdam.  They are looking to arrange a marriage for Thea that will rescue their fortune.  The plot explores Thea’s resistance to her aunt’s attempts to arrange a marriage.

The group found the novel historically interesting and enjoyed the description of Amsterdam. However, most found the characters lacking in depth and credibility.  The role of the miniaturist is not clear although we agreed she acted in a ‘detective’ capacity.  There are underlying themes around lack of honesty, transparency and secrecy. 

The inclusion of the theatre, Thea’s friendship with the actress and her affair with Walter, an artist are interesting and good dimension. 

The end was predictable and unsatisfactory, not the best of Burton’s novels.

It scored 5