"The House of Fortune," Jessie Burton's fourth novel for adults, is that rare, double-headed beast. It is a sequel to the author's first book, "The Miniaturist" (2014), an acclaimed work of historical fiction which enchanted legions of readers. But it is also a standalone novel that can be enjoyed by those who have not yet immersed themselves in the unique world of that exquisite debut. Burton returns to her main setting and brings back several characters, but the most welcome recurring feature is her skilled storytelling.
The book opens in the Brandts' house in Amsterdam one cold January morning in 1705. It is Thea's 18th birthday, a bittersweet occasion as it prompts her to reflect on the mother she never knew who died in childbirth. Thea often asks her father, Otto, who her mother was and why he never speaks of her, but he remains as tight-lipped about Marin Brandt as he does about his time as a slave in Surinam.
"She might have become a woman today," Burton writes of Thea, "but joy in this household is always laced with a fear of loss." Joy is certainly in short supply. Scandal has severely tarnished the Brandts' social standing: "Shame is still a dark imp, sitting in all the corners of this house."
