A woman learns to expand the boundaries of her small world and let love inside it in this sparkling and unforgettable novel by Audrey Burges.
THE MINUSCULE MANSION of MYRA MALONE
by AUDREY BURGES
Series: Standalone
Publication date: January 24, 2022
Published by: Berkley
Genre: fantasy, romance, magical realism
SYNOPSIS
From her attic in the Arizona mountains, thirty-four-year-old Myra Malone blogs about a dollhouse mansion that captivates thousands of readers worldwide. Myra’s stories have created legions of fans who breathlessly await every blog post, trade photographs of Mansion-modeled rooms, and swap theories about the enigmatic and reclusive author. Myra herself is tethered to the Mansion by mysteries she can’t understand—rooms that appear and disappear overnight, music that plays in its corridors.
Across the country, Alex Rakes, the scion of a custom furniture business, encounters two Mansion fans trying to recreate a room. The pair show him the Minuscule Mansion, and Alex is shocked to recognize a reflection of his own life mirrored back to him in minute scale. The room is his own bedroom, and the Mansion is his family’s home, handed down from the grandmother who disappeared mysteriously when Alex was a child. Searching for answers, Alex begins corresponding with Myra. Together, the two unwind the lonely paths of their twin worlds—big and small—and trace the stories that entwine them, setting the stage for a meeting rooted in loss, but defined by love.
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Praise for The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone:
"Audrey Burges has written a sure-fire hit—lively, stylish, and full of heart. The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is decorated with gorgeous wordsmithery and magical trimmings, and I loved every minute spent inside."—Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of Other Birds
"The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is that rare novel: a generous, big-hearted reprieve from our ever-more-troubling reality; a modern fairy tale about how we carry the burdens that choose us, and the magic of finding shelter—and love—when both seem meant for other people. Audrey Burges is a storyteller of warmth, wit, and stunning originality."—Katie Gutierrez, bestselling author of More Than You'll Ever Know
“The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is a refreshing and unique entry into the genre of mystical realism. Quirky and scarred yet very authentic characters populate this richly told tale of friendship, family, and timeless love. Perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and for all book lovers searching for a fantastic read.”—Karen White, New York Times bestselling author
“There’s nothing small about the worlds Burges makes. Inside her minuscule mansion are entire worlds, a fated romance, and the answers to more than one mystery. Readers of The Lost Apothecary will devour The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone. Love, loss, and loneliness: this book explores it all, with Burges’ characteristic humor and care. This book is a winner.”—Rachel Mans McKenny, award-winning author of The Butterfly Effect
"The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is a poignant, beautiful debut filled with magic, fate and redemption. This story captured my imagination and I just had to keep reading to see how it would end. I enjoyed every page."—Rachel Linden, author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie
“This well-written novel with heart-warming characters is perfect for fans of magical realism by the likes of Sarah Addison Allen and Isabel Allende.”—Library Journal
“This creative, engaging debut weaves together an unusual family legacy, a romance between two lonely souls, and a touch of magic in the form of a tiny mansion that seems to know what's best for everyone.”—Booklist
"Burges creates a magical, unique world, and her characters are incredibly lovable...The story alternates between the present and past, slowly weaving together storylines that are extremely satisfying when they finally come together. Perfect for readers who long to escape into a world of magic and romance."—Kirkus Reviews
“This captivating novel of miniature furniture and big themes braids strong friendships, romance, family ties and the importance of stepping outside of one's comfort zone.”—Shelf Awareness
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Audrey Burges writes novels, humor, satire, and essays in Richmond, Virginia. Her stories have been published in McSweeney's, Pithead Chapel, Cease, Cows, HAD, Into the Void, and elsewhere.
Audrey was raised in Arizona by her linguist parents, which is a lot like being raised by wolves, but with better grammar. She moved to Virginia as an adult but still carries mountains and canyons in her heart, and sometimes, when she closes her eyes, she can still smell ponderosa pines in the sun.
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REVIEW
The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey BurgesMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is a journey. Sometimes twisted and treacherous, sometimes smooth and full of wonder. Getting from point A to point B is disjointed and fluid all at once. It’s a timeline within a timeline which is fitting when you understand the mysteries of Myra’s magical house. The questions you have surrounding the past and present start from page one, and only seem to grow as you learn more. The story is Myra's-but Willa Rakes steals a large portion of the spotlight. Even though Willa's story is only told in the past tense chapters starting in 1937, learning about her life is integral to understanding the mansion that ties everyone together. Because she is of the mansion, and the mansion is a part of her. That probably doesn't make much sense. Then again, she was an enigma that even her closest loved ones never fully understood. My need to understand who she really was and how was connected to everything kept me turning the pages late into the night. It's been a long time since I've been so utterly invested in a story.
By the time Myra Malone was five, she knew more heartache and hardship than many see in a lifetime. She survived a shattering car accident that took her beloved step-grandmother Trixie from her. That same accident physically and emotionally altered her life forever, making her retreat into the safety of her home where she felt cushioned from the outside world. That world had taken so much from her and felt overwhelming in its vastness. So she took solace in the miniature house she inherited from Trixie. She decorated each room in the Minuscule Mansion with her hand crafted pieces of furniture and decor, but the house had a life of its own and it never seemed to want to stop changing. The was something inexplicably magical about how entire rooms would disappear, music played from within all on its own, and items appeared that she never placed there yet seemed to belong. She wasn't sure what it all meant, but she did know that it was her responsibility to protect those walls like the walls of her haven protected her.
Our focus on creating a world full of minute detailmade the world outside seem more manageable.If I was observant enough, I could reducesomething enormous or overwhelming intosomething small enough to be held in the palmof my hand, tucked into a small corner of a room,and buckled away for safekeeping.And that skill gave me power in a powerless time.
I can't imagine going through life so completely isolated from everything the way Myra does. Lots of people like to stay "in their own little bubble" but she takes it to a whole other level. Gwen is her one friend whom she has known since she was a little girl, and that's only because Gwen demanded friendship and wouldn't take no for an answer. She's that blunt, no-nonsense, but loving friend that everyone wishes they had. While Myra tries to stay still and quiet and small, Gwen is the definition of constant motion and exuberance. Even with her bigger than life personality, she doesn't lack the patience needed to nudge her friend to try to enter the real world and start experiencing life from a more expanded perspective. She knows it's unhealthy to hide away the way she does, but she can only help her make changes in tiny increments. She convinces her to share her Minuscule Mansion with the world online. This eventually leads to life-changing events that Myra couldn't have anticipated, even in her wildest imaginings.
Alex Rakes discovers Myra's blog online and is completely floored when he realizes that her miniature house is a replica of his family's old, peculiar home. There was always something very strange about the house that his father despised and tried to keep him away from. The pain and tragedy that seemed to envelop his family through the years seemed to always come back to that house. Yet, Alex was always drawn to the mysterious place that people whispered about behind their hands. No one quite understood why the place felt off, which made it equally feared. Alex would have liked to have cracked the house open and shaken it until all of its secrets came tumbling out in the open. His family was comprised of a cold father, a grandmother that no one would talk about, a grandfather that came home from the war a ghost of himself, and a mother that left when he was a baby. He's known lots of sadness and loneliness, never feeling a close connection with anyone in his life. Until meeting Myra.
It had all happened over a matter of weeks thatfelt at once like decades of familiarity,while simultaneously feeling like the blink of an eye.
Their romance is sweet and more of a secondary plot, as it doesn't really kick in until the last 1/4 of the book. It doesn't feel too slow to appear or too instantaneous when it does. The two of them genuinely feel like soul mates who were just biding their time until they found their way to each other. Not just because of their ties to the mansion separately, from afar, but because they intrinsically "knew" one another sight unseen. Alex was so gentle with Myra, handling her fears with empathy and tenderness. You just want the two of them to finally be face-to-face so she can see that they are two parts of one whole. That she can fully trust that he is the only shelter her wounded heart needs. When circumstances force the two of them to face their greatest fears, will they finally have all of the answers that always eluded them and find peace?
I spent my whole life, from the time I was a small child,unsheltered. I spent my whole life feeling unloved and forgotten.And then I met you, and now it doesn’t matterwhere I lay my head at night—under a slate roof or a tar paper shackor a wide bowl of shining stars.It doesn’t matter to me.”
This story was beautifully written, thoroughly captivating, and unlike any other book I've read. I adored it wholeheartedly and cannot stop daydreaming about that enchanting mansion and the secrets it held. This book brought me along on an adventure so grand I'm finding it hard to return from it. Those are the best kinds of books to read of course, so I'm not complaining.
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