The Dollmaker of Krakow

Reviewed by: Sarah Cropley - Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 6, 2017

Review

R. M. Romero's The Dollmaker of Karakow is a juvenile novel with an interesting premise that falls a bit flat. The story begins with Karolina, a doll in the Land of Dolls. The kingdom is attacked by rats and falls into their control. Karolina wakes up as a doll in Poland during World War II. She soon discovers that the Dollmaker who created her has a magic that even he did not know about. What follows is a complexly woven tale as Romero pairs the stories of war and discrimination in The Land of Dolls and in Poland in the real world.

This might be the right book for some reader, but it would not likely appeal to a broad selection. Romero creates a picture of the horrors of Jewish families and those who aided them during this time that is stark, accurate, and compelling. However, it is mixed with the magic of the dolls and the Dollmaker in such a way that it may cause readers to think the historical aspects are as imagined as the magical ones. Karolina is meant to be the voice of the story, and her particular way of speaking is sometimes alienating for the reader.

Though, there are moments of pure emotion and excellent historical accuracy, they are overshadowed by a confusing blend of fanciful magic and factual horror and a stilted narrator.

Overall Book Score: fair