The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (20 Sept. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1785036351
• ISBN-13: 978-1785036354

Synopsis

Do you remember when you believed in magic?

It is 1917, and while war wages across Europe, in the heart of London, there is a place of hope and enchantment.

The Emporium sells toys that capture the imagination of children and adults alike: patchwork dogs that seem alive, toy boxes that are bigger on the inside, soldiers that can fight battles of their own. Into this family business comes young Cathy Wray, running away from a shameful past. The Emporium takes her in, makes her one of its own.

But Cathy is about to discover that the Emporium has secrets of its own…

Review

The Toymakers is not a book I would normally pick to read as I am not a fan of fantasy/magic type books.  The reason I chose to read this is simply down to recommendations by some of the admin of a book club I am part of, and after finishing the book it is certainly something I recommend as well.  I didn’t find it a fantasy/magic novel in the strictest sense, more of a historical novel with the added bit of magic.  The plot covers the first half of the twentieth century and follows Cathy Wray, who runs away from home and the trouble she is in, after seeing an advertisement for staff at The Emporium in London.  The narrative follows Cathy’s life at the Emporium and her relationship with Papa Jack and his two sons Kaspar and Emil.

The Toymakers really captured my imagination and I fell into its magic.  The Toy Emporium is a magical place really brought to life by Robert Dinsdale.  I really believed in rocking horses galloping along, toy soldiers fighting battles and trees that sprouted from paper with birds in their branches.  This may all seem very fairytale like, and childish, but as in all good fairytales there is darkness lurking in its pages that spirals out of control. There is love, betrayal, filial rivalry, jealousy, relationships, and power that combine to make this such an engaging and compelling read. All the characters are flawed and have a dark side that they are running from, some in the past, and some from events the happen during the book.  Cathy has had a wonderful childhood, lovely parents, a close relationship with her sister, but one simple mistake changes her life and she makes the decision to runaway rather than face the alternative.  Her arrival at The Emporium is a catalyst for all the other events that follow.  Papa Jack is a big bear of a man, from Russia originally, and has suffered and seen some horrific things as part of the wars and revolution. For him, making toys is something he uses as a distraction from the horror he has faced and to move forward with his life; I saw him of Santa Claus figure bringing joy to adults and children alike. His sons Kaspar and Emil have always had a rivalry of who can make the best toy for the coming Christmas, but sibling rivalry can become a kind of war, like they they play with their toy soldiers; the symbol of their continual conflict and mirroring the War in Europe going on outside The Emporium. I was drawn to both of the brothers characters for different reasons; Kasper being more creative and acting the older brother, thinking he knows best, whilst Emil, the younger brother always feeling less important and trying to live up to his successful older brother I didn’t want to take sides. It is these complex and changeable relationships that draw you in and keep you turning the pages.

The Toymakers is both heartbreaking and beautiful, dark and yet magical. I was enchanted by this book, the characters, their relationships and their story really drew me in.  The Emporium is a place we could all do with visiting, as lets face it, we all need a bit of magic in our lives.  The paperback is due out on September 20, and I know it’s a bit early, but this would make a wonderful Christmas gift to a fellow booklover; a magical read that will capture your heart and imagination.

Thank you for reading my review of The Toymakers, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and I hope I inspire some of you to read it.  You can follow me on all social media and subscribe to my blog to get all reviews delivered to your email.