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The Museum of Mary Child

The Museum of Mary Child
By Cassandra Golds
Kane Miller, 2009. 329 pp. Chapter book.

In the care of her stern, cold godmother, little Heloise is raised never knowing love. Her deepest desire is to possess a doll, something which her godmother will never allow her to have. She considers them a sinister reminder of the reason for the Museum of Mary Child which exists next door, filled with eerie dolls. When Heloise happens to find a beautiful doll under a floorboard in her room, her life begins to change as she does everything in her power to conceal its presence from her godmother, even to the point of running away. This leads her to a strange and wonderful new life, eventually leading to the reveal of the greatest secret of all.

Mysterious, strange, and haunting, this book will stay with you long after you've read it. Thoughtfully and beautifully written, it has an old-fashioned appeal mixed with a touch of magic, which when combined with a startlingly unique storyline makes for a very interesting book. I really enjoyed this story and was fascinated with the many mysteries involved and especially loved that I didn't guess them before they were revealed in the book. Both of my thumbs are up for this great story.

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