I have always loved doors. Whenever I travel, I end up taking pictures of doors and doorways. For me they are evocative, mysterious, and inviting. So a book about doors was a fascinating concept to me and this book quickly drew me in.

January is the ward of John Locke, a man of some wealth and position and collector of unique and wonderful things. January’s father, Julian, works for Mr. Locke, traveling the world to find and collect these unique artifacts. While her father travels, January remains with Mr. Locke, who values tradition and structure and who makes sure she is educated and looked after by a string of governesses who try to shape and mold January into a respectable, pliant girl. But January is different. Not just because she has copper brown skin or curly hair or unique silver gray eyes, but because she has a strong will and a deep and abiding curiosity. Then, unexpectedly, her father sends Jane, a well travelled woman of formidable intellect and strength to be her governess, and January is freed from her previous restrictive expectations.

Perhaps life would have gone on in some kind of normal fashion, but soon after Jane’s arrival January discovers a book. Thinking that it might be a present from her guardian, she finds a collection of stories about doors–doors that lead to other worlds. She is enthralled by the stories, until at some point she begins to realize that the stories overlap with events in her own life.

Just as January begins to understand the book and its relationship to her past, she receives devastating news that impacts her whole life. Determined to understand the message in the book and her place in the stories it tells, January embarks on a remarkable journey of self discovery that helps her find her place in this world.

This was such a unique and interesting story. By interspersing excerpts from the book that January reads as well as the stories that January hears from the people that she meets along the way. Harrow has caught the lively curiosity of January which makes all her adventures all the more believable. This was such a fun read, and a great escape from our current daily realities!

Brenda’s Rating: ***1/2 (3 1/2 out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Lauren and Marian

Book Study Worthy? Yes

Read in ebook format.