Nella is 18 years old and has married a merchant living in Amsterdam. Arriving at her new home, Nella finds her husband absent, and his sister and servants reigning house. Suddenly, Nella is forced to reconsider what it means to be a wife and what her role in his house is and when her husband gives her a wedding present of a beautiful miniature of their home, Nella connects with a miniaturist who seems to know secret things she should not about the family.

Overall, this book was really beautiful and I enjoyed it a lot. It took me a while to get used to the surroundings and Nella's voice but it wad definitely a culture and a setting I've read little of, and I enjoyed reading and learning about the merchant trade in Amsterdam, as well as the rules and regulations put on the people by the church. I began to steadily love Nella, who showed great character development - transforming from a timid 18 year old to a woman in charge of the house and able to go out and get things done. I wasn't expecting to warm to Marin, there were times she really frustrated me, but by the end of the book, I loved her as well.

I found the concept of the miniaturist really intriguing. I found that the idea of her was put to the reader to decide. Was she magical? Or just really observant and intuitive? There was no other obvious signs of magic spells or anything spectacular, everything was very secret and subtle and made me feel like it was the magic of ordinary beautiful things rather than magic magic.

I went back and reread the prologue after I finished the complete book and I'd recommend people do that as those brief words make a lot more sense and obviously you know who it is, etc.