Midnight Blue: A Novel Paperback – June 26, 2018

Midnight Blue is a plot-driven historical novel written by a popular Dutch writer, Simone van der Vlugt. The writer is new to English-speaking readers and is well-established (in Dutch) in several genres. In this novel, Ms. van der Vlugt makes good use of her experience writing crime novels - the pace is fast and the story engaging.I particularly enjoyed watching the main character, Catrin, grow from an impulsive girl with a vague dream into a confident and independent woman. She is practical at every turn, yet she eventually risks her own health and safety to help two young strangers. Despite Catrin being haunted by some of her choices, she follows her intuition throughout. Aided by luck and a keen ability to compromise, she ultimately makes a few brave and unconventional decisions that lead to her happy ending.Ms. Vlugt’s extensive knowledge of 17th century Holland comes through in every detail, from the arduous requirements of traveling from one area of the country to another, to the food staples, the daily routines, and the incredible events of the time and place. I much enjoyed her descriptions of the harbor in Amsterdam and of the various modes of water transportation. My compliments to the author on her extensive research. Every essential detail was spot on.Overall, I think Midnight Blue is a great read and an apt introduction to Holland’s Golden Age. Well done!

Well written book with historical points that takes the reader back to a simpler time. The author did a great job of describing the characters in the book. It was fun to learn more about the process of making earthenware. I am glad that I read the book!

Wonderful book, beautifully written !

This had a promise to be much better.While interesting I felt it was too shallow,and then suddenly it was finished.A brief look into the era.

I loved this book! The cover is beautiful, the story was great and I found it hard to put down. I love Delft Blue pottery and really enjoyed reading about how it all started!

i’ve really enjoyed the storyline they’ve created and the characters. it’s very interesting to read once you get into the story

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was interesting to learn more about the time period in the Netherlands not only art and pottery but also the plague that paralleled our recent pandemic.

Very enjoyable read. Faithful to historical facts. Written well