My senses were ignited was read page after page, which relays a typical day in the life of an inhabitant of London during this era. The Doll Factory offers a rich painting of 1850s London. Deeply entrenched in the era in which it is set, Victorian London, The Doll Factory commanded my attention from the opening page. The initial appeal of this novel for me was definitely the cover, it is simply exquisite! However, nestled beneath the pages of this stunning cover is an assured and highly original piece of writing. The Doll Factory is the captivating story of personal aspirations and deadly fascination, set in times past. As Iris’s eyes are opened up to a new world of opportunity, love, seduction and ambition, a dark figure sits lurking in the background.

Louis Frost is captivated by Iris and she agrees to model for him in exchange for painting lessons. Iris is keen to begin training as an artist and she finds her big break when she is asked to model for one of the all important artists of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. The arrival of the Great Exhibition gives much hope, especially to a woman named Iris who works in a doll factory. The excitement of The Great Exhibition, erected in the very heart of London captured the full attention of many local men and women of the time. Set in London in the year 1850, Elizabeth Macneal recreates a time of great progression in Britain. A book that thrusts the reader into days gone by, The Doll Factory is a highly authentic and fresh tale from an emerging author.

The recipient of the 2018 New Caledonia Novel Award, The Doll Factory is a potent historical tale, exposing a world filled with artistry, passion, compulsion and control. The Doll Factory is the debut novel from Elizabeth Macneal.

Suddenly her world begins to expand, to become a place of art and love.īut Silas has only thought of one thing since their meeting, and his obsession is darkening. When Iris is asked to model for pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also teach her to paint.

For Iris, an aspiring artist, it is the encounter of a moment – forgotten seconds later, but for Silas, a collector entranced by the strange and beautiful, that meeting marks a new beginning. The Great Exhibition is being erected in Hyde Park and among the crowd watching the spectacle two people meet. The Doll Factory, the debut novel by Elizabeth Macneal, is an intoxicating story of art, obsession and possession.

The doll factory review