During 2023, I read 50 books. During 2024, I read 74; and last year, I read 64. As in years past, the majority of the books were fiction, and some were leadership non-fiction, but all captured my attention.
Without further ado, the best book I read during 2025 was THE LIBRARY OF LOST DOLLHOUSES by Elise Hooper. It's easy to see why I chose this book: I have a passion for reading, libraries, San Francisco, architecture, the Art Institute of Chicago's Thorne Rooms, dollhouses, miniatures, history, Paris, Walt Disney, and to quote the author, above all, "the importance of illuminating overlooked women."
According to the book's flap, "Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco, takes an unexpected turn when she, first, learns the library is on the verge of bankruptcy, and, second, discovers two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses. After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Epoque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney's bustling Burbank studio in the 1950's. Spanning the course of a century, this book tells the captivating story of secrets and love that embrace the importance of illuminating overlooked women."
Author Elise Hooper explained how she was inspired to write the book, "When I was seven, I received a dollhouse for Christmas that had been built in the late 1800s for my great-grandmother and passed down to my grandmother, then my mother, then me. As a girl, I played with that dollhouse for hours and learned many creative skills—like sewing, knitting, painting, and basic woodworking — to make tiny furnishings for the dollhouse. It taught me to view the world as a place of possibility, where anything could be adapted for the dollhouse. During that time I spent playing, I also learned how to tell stories, and this turned out to be a skill that shaped my interest in writing."
She explained further, "As I delved deeper and deeper into the history of dollhouses, I noticed that miniatures tend to grow in popularity during difficult times. For example, at the end of World War I, Queen Mary commissioned a grand dollhouse from England's leading artisans as a way of lifting the nation's spirits. After the dollhouse was finished, over a million and a half people showed up to see it exhibited. In the United States, the Art Institute of Chicago's well-known Thorne Rooms and Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle were created and exhibited during the Great Depression to raise money for charitable causes. And then in 2020, while people were stuck in their homes during the pandemic, another flourishing of modern miniatures took hold once again and captured people's imaginations on social media. I love this proof of how art plays an important and positive role in our lives."
And on a final note, Hooper said, “For as long as I’ve been studying history, I’ve been infuriated by how women’s lives vanish from so many official records, so it’s exciting that people are finally interested in learning more about these hidden histories. As a novelist, I love telling stories about women and their accomplishments as much as possible.”
So, if you haven’t yet read this book, add it to the top of your TO BE READ LIST! You’ll be happy you did!
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SHARE THIS: Elise Hooper's books tell memorable stories about women who've been underestimated and overlooked by history. #readinglist #DebbieLaskeysBlog
Image Credit: Elise Hooper.
Book Club questions for THE LIBRARY OF LOST DOLLHOUSES from Elise Hooper:
https://www.elisehooper.com/the-library-of-lost-dollhouses-1
Check out my review of my fave book from 2024:
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2025/02/the-best-book-i-read-in-2024.html
Check out my review of my fave book from 2023:
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2024/02/the-best-book-i-read-in-2023.html
