The ten thousand doors of January / Alix E. Harrow.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780316421997
- Physical Description: 374 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Redhook, 2019.
- Copyright: ©2019.
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Books and reading > Fiction. Multiverse > Fiction. Racially mixed people > Fiction. Teenage girls > Fiction. Guardian and ward > Fiction. Racism > Fiction. Sexism > Fiction. Classism > Fiction. Vermont > History > 20th century > Fiction. |
Genre: | Fantasy fiction. Bildungsromans. |
Available copies
- 18 of 19 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Terrace Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 19 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Terrace Public Library | HAR (Text) | 35151001093426 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2019 August #1
Harrow dazzles with this historical fiction-fantasy hybrid about a young woman who discovers that the key to opening the door for change lies within ourselves. January Scaller is growing up at the turn of the 20th century as a ward of Mr. Locke, a wealthy collector of artifacts, while her father is in Mr. Locke's service, searching for the rarest items. Being of mixed heritage in a world not kind to those "in-between," January feels like a tolerated addition to Mr. Locke's collection of unique objects. But one day, a strange book appears, one that smells of leather and adventure; of secrets and love. And when January falls through that leather-bound door, her life will never be the same. The Ten Thousand Doors of January is both whimsical and smart, using engaging writing and a unique plot to touch on serious topics. Harrow's debut reads like a love letter to the art of storytelling itself, and readers will be eager for more from her. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews. - BookPage Reviews : BookPage Reviews 2019 September
The Ten Thousand Doors of JanuarySet in the early 1900s, The Ten Thousand Doors of January is the story of January Scaller, whose father travels around the world to find unique curiosities for his wealthy employer, Mr. Locke. January remains behind with Locke, who keeps her dressed in finery, storing her as carefully as the other specimens he possesses.Â
On the day before she turns 17, January discovers a mysterious book that smells of sea and spices in one of the many rooms of Locke's house. As she reads the book, she learns that certain locations in the world are doors to other worldsâand that her entire life is tied to those doors. With the help of a few friends, January decides to escape Locke and his strange society of archaeologists and try to find her father before she no longer can.Â
Part-time historian Alix E. Harrow has written a stunning debut novel with inventive worlds, sumptuous language and impeccably crafted details. Several of Harrow's characters challenge traditional stereotypes in interesting ways, and January in particular is a refreshingly fierce female protagonist. Harrow paces this action-packed novel beautifully, slowly revealing the truth as the reader races through the pages to discover the ultimate conclusion.Â
Readers seeking a fresh fantasy with an enduring love story need look no further, and they'll be left wistfully hoping to stumble upon doors of their own.
Copyright 2019 BookPage Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2019 July #2
An independent young girl finds a blue door in a field and glimpses another world, nudging her onto a path of discovery, destiny, empowerment, and love. Set at the turn of the 20th century, Harrow's debut novel centers on January Scaller, who grows up under the watchful eye of the wealthy Cornelius Locke, who employs her father, Julian, to travel the globe in search of odd objects and valuable treasures to pad his collection, housed in a sprawling Vermont mansion. January appears to have a charmed childhood but is stifled by the high-society old boy's club of Mr. Locke and his friends, who treat her as a curiosityâa mixed-race girl with a precocious streak, forced into elaborate outfits and docile behavior for the annual society gatherings. When she's 17, her father seemingly disappears, and January finds a book that will change her life forever. With her motley crew of alliesâSamuel, the grocer's son; Jane, the Kenyan woman sent by Julian to be January's companion; and Bad, her faithful dogâJanuary embarks on an adventure that will lead her to discover secrets about Mr. Locke, the world and its hidden doorw ays, and her own family. Harrow employs the image of the door ("Sometimes I feel there are doors lurking in the creases of every sentence, with periods for knobs and verbs for hinges") as well as the metaphor (a "geometry of absence") to great effect. Similes and vivid imagery adorn nearly every page like glittering garlands. While some stereotypes are present, such as the depiction of East African women as pantherlike, the book has a diverse cast of characters and a strong woman lead. This portal fantasy doesn't shy away from racism, classism, and sexism, which helps it succeed as an interesting story. A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written word, and the power of many kinds of love. Copyright Kirkus 2019 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved. - LJ Express Reviews : LJ Express Reviews
DEBUT When she was seven, January Scaller found a blue door in the middle of a Kentucky field. It seemed ordinary, until she wrote "she opened the door" in her diary. The world suddenly shifted, and she walked through the portal to another place. At first between worlds, she eventually arrived safely on the other side and was mesmerized by what she found there. She might have stayed had her wealthy benefactor, Cornelius Locke, not called her name. January's father, Julian, travels the world collecting oddities for Cornelius and his amateur archaeological society. But each has his own agendaâone to open doors, the other to close them. January will soon learn there are ten thousand doors to ten thousand worlds, and that she has the power to control them and command her own destiny.
Copyright 2019 LJExpress.VERDICT Harrow's expressive debut depicts humankind's resistance to change, repression of the "other," and the desperation of the privileged when their prosperity is threatened. Fans of C.S. Lewis will be drawn to this magical coming-of-age tale and allegorical commentary on social justice.âK.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2019 May #1
Harrow imbues her debut, set primarily in early-20th-century Vermont, as well as in an alternative world called the City of Nin, with genealogical mystery. The immensely wealthy William Cornelius Locke employs Julian Scaller as a plunderer of valuable artifacts, a job that prevents Julian from being a proper parent to his daughter, January. To fill the void left by January's traveling father and her mother, whose absence is initially unexplained, Locke ensconces January in his mansion as his ward. January discovers that she has the power to write words that open doors leading to other worlds, including the City of Nin. Throughout the novel, Harrow quotes at excessive length from The Ten Thousand Doors, a book Julian owns, and January gradually discerns a connection between her own life and that of Adelaide Lee Larson, a character in Doors. Harrow weaves in commentary on race: Julian is black and January's mother is white, and, in a clever inversion, in one of the worlds January visits, everyone is black and racism is nonexistent. Harrow's novel will hold strong appeal to readers who enjoy portal fantasies featuring adventuresome women. Agent: Kate McKean, Morhaim Literary. (Sept.)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly. - SLJ Express Reviews : SLJ Express Reviews
In January Scaller's world, there are Doors that open to other worlds. You just need to know to look for them. Harrow's historical fantasy tackles familial loss and estrangement, as well as class and race relations in the early 20th century. The narrative follows January from childhood to adolescence.
Copyright 2020 SLJExpress.VERDICT Harrow's sprawling tale is an ode to the power of storytelling to heal wounds.âElliot Riley, Deerfield Academy, MA