Midnight Blue
The book: Midnight Blue, set in the city of Delft, by Simone van der Vlugt
Genre: Historical fiction
Published: 2016
What’s the story?
Midnight Blue is both the story of a talented, courageous young woman, and the history of the distinctive blue-and-white pottery from Delft.
It’s the year 1654 and newly widowed Catrin Barentsdochter escapes from the small village of De Rijp in the Netherlands. She makes her way to Amsterdam where she starts working as a housekeeper. As she witnesses her mistress’s painting lessons, her own artistic skills start clamouring for attention.
Catrin’s murky past catches up to her in Amsterdam in the form of Jacob, a farm hand from her village. She has the opportunity to go to Delft, and here her path crosses with pottery factory owner Evert van Nulandt. He soon realizes Catrin is a woman of many talents, including painting. Together they start working on a plan to replicate the valuable (and very popular) blue-and-white porcelain from the Far East.
A golden thread running through Midnight Blue is the story of love. Catrin becomes the amorous focus of Evert as well as his enigmatic brother Matthias. But can Catrin ever be free from her past? And what will she do when tragedy strikes not only her but the whole city of Delft?
Why read it?
I love this tapestry of real historical events (like the Delft Explosion of 1654 and the origins of Delft Blue) and the story of a young woman, told in the first person. The way this book is written really pulls you into the Netherlands of the 17th century. It is the perfect novel to lose yourself in and escape from 2021.
There are real people in this novel, like Johannes Vermeer (who painted the famous “The Girl with a Pearl Earring”). And one of Rembrandt’s pupils Carel Fabritius. This gives a lot of substance to the story. I’m always impressed by an author who has done his/her research about a period of time.
The novel was originally written in Dutch. Translator Jenny Watson did an excellent job giving the story a wider reach in English. So, if you are interested in history, especially European history, and love stories with a strong female heroine, you will love Midnight Blue.
Bookworms out of five: 4
