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The Naturalist of Amsterdam
Amsterdam, at the turn of the 18th century. For as long as she can remember, Dorothea Graff has lived in service to her mother, Maria Sibyilla Merian, one of the greatest naturalists in Europe. But as she collects insects and colours illustrations for Maria’s world-famous publications, Dorothea longs for a life that is truly her own.
When Maria becomes entranced by the plant and insect life of Suriname, she is determined to record it for herself, taking Dorothea with her. All the family’s savings are ploughed into the dangerous expedition, but greatness is never achieved without sacrifice. The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname will be Maria’s masterpiece, but ensuring its legacy – and her own survival – will become her daughter’s burden. When offered a chance of happiness, will Dorothea have the courage to take it, and risk everything her mother built?
From the jungles of South America to the bustling artists’ studios of Amsterdam, The Naturalist of Amsterdam gives voice to the long-ignored women who shaped our understanding of the natural world – both the artists and those who made their work possible.
When Maria becomes entranced by the plant and insect life of Suriname, she is determined to record it for herself, taking Dorothea with her. All the family’s savings are ploughed into the dangerous expedition, but greatness is never achieved without sacrifice. The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname will be Maria’s masterpiece, but ensuring its legacy – and her own survival – will become her daughter’s burden. When offered a chance of happiness, will Dorothea have the courage to take it, and risk everything her mother built?
From the jungles of South America to the bustling artists’ studios of Amsterdam, The Naturalist of Amsterdam gives voice to the long-ignored women who shaped our understanding of the natural world – both the artists and those who made their work possible.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published October 10, 2023
63 people are currently reading
780 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Ashley
3 books109 followersMelissa Ashley is a writer, poet, birder and academic who tutors in poetry and creative writing at the University of Queensland. She has published a collection of poems, The Hospital for Dolls, short stories, essays and articles.
What started out as research for a PhD dissertation on Elizabeth Gould became a labour of love and her first novel, The Birdman’s Wife. Inspired by her heroine, she studied taxidermy as a volunteer at the Queensland Museum.
Melissa was born in New Zealand and moved to Queensland at the age of eight; she lives in Brisbane with her two children.
What started out as research for a PhD dissertation on Elizabeth Gould became a labour of love and her first novel, The Birdman’s Wife. Inspired by her heroine, she studied taxidermy as a volunteer at the Queensland Museum.
Melissa was born in New Zealand and moved to Queensland at the age of eight; she lives in Brisbane with her two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
October 8, 2023
This turned out to be an excellent and quite surprising book, based on real characters, the naturalist and artist Maria Merian and her daughter Dorothea.
The book is set at the turn of the seventeenth century, and follows Maria and Dorothea, or Dortje as she prefers to called, in their remarkable lives. Imagine, in those times, two women travelling all the way from Amsterdam to Suriname in order to record and paint insects, animals and birds. But these women were real and they genuinely did this.
There is a lot of discussion about mixing paints and pinning specimens, but I found the main story line dramatic and at times even suspenseful. I actually found it hard to put down! Dortje lived much of her life in her mother's shadow and I was rooting for her to find her own way by the end. I am very glad I chose to read this book.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The book is set at the turn of the seventeenth century, and follows Maria and Dorothea, or Dortje as she prefers to called, in their remarkable lives. Imagine, in those times, two women travelling all the way from Amsterdam to Suriname in order to record and paint insects, animals and birds. But these women were real and they genuinely did this.
There is a lot of discussion about mixing paints and pinning specimens, but I found the main story line dramatic and at times even suspenseful. I actually found it hard to put down! Dortje lived much of her life in her mother's shadow and I was rooting for her to find her own way by the end. I am very glad I chose to read this book.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 11, 2023
4.5★s
The Naturalist Of Amsterdam is the third novel by New Zealand-born Australian author, Melissa Ashley. When her Opa Marrel dies in 1681, three-year-old Dorothea Graff and her family move to Frankfurt to be with Oma Merian at Maria Merian’s insistence. Doortje knows her Papa is unhappy to leave behind clients, wealth and prestige in Nuremburg.
Her Ma is an artist who is already a published author of Natural History books, and is convinced by her half-brother, Caspar, to leave the corrupt world and join the Labadists, followers of Jean Labadie’s teaching, at Walta Schloss, an estate bought for them by the richest family in Friesland.
The Labadists, though, are a miserable lot, rejecting beauty and joy; Dort doesn’t like them much, especially the discipline she’s subjected to and, before long, Johann Graff renounces their ideals and is cast out by Maria.
Maria has a laboratory where she can indulge in her studies, with Dort her assistant in collecting specimens, while Dort’s older sister Hanna produces images of their finds. So it takes until Dort is thirteen for her mother to become disillusioned with the Labadists, to up sticks and head for Amsterdam.
In the intervening years, Hanna has married, but the family sets up an atelier where they sell paintings, Maria’s books, and art supplies and teach, until Maria’s desire to find new insect, plants and animals has her hatching a plan to go to the former Labadist settlement in Suriname. Even as Dort, now nineteen, is hoping to meet a suitable man, her mother is dragging her to the tropics to help collect.
But all is not lost: some interesting years collecting exciting finds, until Maria is laid low by an illness that forces a return to Amsterdam. Dort gets to know the young ships surgeon who has a keen interest in her mother’s work, and in Dort herself. A proposal ensues.
But if Dort thinks that being Mrs Philip Hendriks and mother od Eliza Maria will guarantee a settled life in Amsterdam, she has another think coming. Philip’s wanderlust soon reemerges, and he contracts as ships surgeon several times, taking along trinkets to trade with the East Indies natives for sought-after insects and animals that can be sold back home.
Dort moves back in with Maria, once again assisting her, and her sister Hanna with specimens, and Maria’s ambitious project, a richly illustrated book detailing the metamorphosis of insects of Suriname: this is better than moping at home without her beloved.
Fortune doesn’t smile upon Dort, though: she loses her daughter, her sister migrates to Suriname, her husband succumbs to illness at sea, and her mother suffers an affliction that, even when she recovers, leaves her much reduced. It takes the loss of her mother for Dort to realise that she could “step out of the invisibility of widowhood and being my mother’s assistant.”
Determined to complete her mother’s latest project, she finally realises “I could draw, paint, engrave, etch, design, translate, prepare letterpress and copperplate. I could correspond, run a household, negotiate a network of clientele. I was a naturalist of Amsterdam, just as Ma had been.”
Ashley certainly conjures her setting and era with consummate ease; her descriptive prose is rich and evocative, and it isn’t difficult to hope for a good outcome for her protagonist. Based on a the life of an actual European naturalist, this is quite a mesmerising historical fiction novel.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Affirm Press.
The Naturalist Of Amsterdam is the third novel by New Zealand-born Australian author, Melissa Ashley. When her Opa Marrel dies in 1681, three-year-old Dorothea Graff and her family move to Frankfurt to be with Oma Merian at Maria Merian’s insistence. Doortje knows her Papa is unhappy to leave behind clients, wealth and prestige in Nuremburg.
Her Ma is an artist who is already a published author of Natural History books, and is convinced by her half-brother, Caspar, to leave the corrupt world and join the Labadists, followers of Jean Labadie’s teaching, at Walta Schloss, an estate bought for them by the richest family in Friesland.
The Labadists, though, are a miserable lot, rejecting beauty and joy; Dort doesn’t like them much, especially the discipline she’s subjected to and, before long, Johann Graff renounces their ideals and is cast out by Maria.
Maria has a laboratory where she can indulge in her studies, with Dort her assistant in collecting specimens, while Dort’s older sister Hanna produces images of their finds. So it takes until Dort is thirteen for her mother to become disillusioned with the Labadists, to up sticks and head for Amsterdam.
In the intervening years, Hanna has married, but the family sets up an atelier where they sell paintings, Maria’s books, and art supplies and teach, until Maria’s desire to find new insect, plants and animals has her hatching a plan to go to the former Labadist settlement in Suriname. Even as Dort, now nineteen, is hoping to meet a suitable man, her mother is dragging her to the tropics to help collect.
But all is not lost: some interesting years collecting exciting finds, until Maria is laid low by an illness that forces a return to Amsterdam. Dort gets to know the young ships surgeon who has a keen interest in her mother’s work, and in Dort herself. A proposal ensues.
But if Dort thinks that being Mrs Philip Hendriks and mother od Eliza Maria will guarantee a settled life in Amsterdam, she has another think coming. Philip’s wanderlust soon reemerges, and he contracts as ships surgeon several times, taking along trinkets to trade with the East Indies natives for sought-after insects and animals that can be sold back home.
Dort moves back in with Maria, once again assisting her, and her sister Hanna with specimens, and Maria’s ambitious project, a richly illustrated book detailing the metamorphosis of insects of Suriname: this is better than moping at home without her beloved.
Fortune doesn’t smile upon Dort, though: she loses her daughter, her sister migrates to Suriname, her husband succumbs to illness at sea, and her mother suffers an affliction that, even when she recovers, leaves her much reduced. It takes the loss of her mother for Dort to realise that she could “step out of the invisibility of widowhood and being my mother’s assistant.”
Determined to complete her mother’s latest project, she finally realises “I could draw, paint, engrave, etch, design, translate, prepare letterpress and copperplate. I could correspond, run a household, negotiate a network of clientele. I was a naturalist of Amsterdam, just as Ma had been.”
Ashley certainly conjures her setting and era with consummate ease; her descriptive prose is rich and evocative, and it isn’t difficult to hope for a good outcome for her protagonist. Based on a the life of an actual European naturalist, this is quite a mesmerising historical fiction novel.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Affirm Press.
August 22, 2023
In 1686, at the age of 8 Dorothea Graff assists her mother to curate the Walta Schloss collection of exotic natural curiosities from the Dutch colony of Suriname where a breakaway group of Labadists have established a paradise, free of the corruption of the material world. The German family is living with this strict pious Christian community in Friesland, where Doortje is disciplined harshly, especially when she rebels at her fathers expulsion from the congregation. Her mother becomes disillusioned by the rife mismanagement and when an epidemic threatens lives they move to Amsterdam where they set up an atelier painting botanical commissions and teaching daughters of wealthy burghers. Doortje’s mother is Maria Sibylla Merian, a renowned artist and naturalist, acclaimed for her published works on the lifecycles of insects, her patrons include Peter the Great, Czar of Russia. But she is demanding, single-minded and lured by Suriname. When Doortje is itching for society, friendship and perhaps even love, she is appointed field assistant for the trip – an adventure which threatens pirates, caimans, poison frogs, tropic fevers and other dangers an expedition at the turn of the 18th century will entail.
After a life of training, Doortje is accomplished in grinding precise colours for watercolours, in etchings, engravings, printmaking, and collecting specimens but hopes for the chance to evade her mother’s shadow, overcome abandonment and grief, to emerge from her chrysalis.
Melissa Ashley’s lavish attention to detail, chronicling the real lives of these inspiring women evinces the vibrancy of their vividly rich watercolours. For fans of her/history.
Thank you BRPreview and Affirm Press for an uncorrected proof copy.
After a life of training, Doortje is accomplished in grinding precise colours for watercolours, in etchings, engravings, printmaking, and collecting specimens but hopes for the chance to evade her mother’s shadow, overcome abandonment and grief, to emerge from her chrysalis.
Melissa Ashley’s lavish attention to detail, chronicling the real lives of these inspiring women evinces the vibrancy of their vividly rich watercolours. For fans of her/history.
Thank you BRPreview and Affirm Press for an uncorrected proof copy.
December 4, 2023
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
The Naturalist of Amsterdam by Melissa Ashley is a fascinating and meticulously descriptive read based on real life characters. We are introduced to brilliant European naturalist, scientific illustrator and artist Maria Sibyilla Merian and her daughters Johanna and Dorothea (Dort) Graff in the year 1686.
Maria records the wonders of the natural world where she observes and collects insects. She paints, illustrates and publishes world famous books on insects and reptiles along with the plants they feed on, she is an extraordinary woman.
Fiercely determined to explore the exotic plants and insects she had heard about in Suriname, South America, Maria requests that Dort accompany her on the dangerous voyage to the Dutch colony of Suriname where they live in the jungle for two years until one of the women falls ill which forces them to return home.
Dort loyally serves her demanding mother, their relationship is very integral to the story. I felt sad for Dort and wanted her to have the courage to find her own life and happiness, but will she?
I loved the descriptions of the exotic specimens, the watercolour paintings and the physicians work in the story.
This is a rich and captivating story, beautifully written for lovers of adventure, science and art and includes themes of loss and tragedy. I loved how the author brings to life a story of women who have been overlooked by history. The end papers of the book are gorgeous and are actual illustrations from the artist in the book.
Publication Date 10 October 2023
Publisher Affirm Press
A huge thanks to the wonderful team at Affirm Press for a copy of the book to read.
The Naturalist of Amsterdam by Melissa Ashley is a fascinating and meticulously descriptive read based on real life characters. We are introduced to brilliant European naturalist, scientific illustrator and artist Maria Sibyilla Merian and her daughters Johanna and Dorothea (Dort) Graff in the year 1686.
Maria records the wonders of the natural world where she observes and collects insects. She paints, illustrates and publishes world famous books on insects and reptiles along with the plants they feed on, she is an extraordinary woman.
Fiercely determined to explore the exotic plants and insects she had heard about in Suriname, South America, Maria requests that Dort accompany her on the dangerous voyage to the Dutch colony of Suriname where they live in the jungle for two years until one of the women falls ill which forces them to return home.
Dort loyally serves her demanding mother, their relationship is very integral to the story. I felt sad for Dort and wanted her to have the courage to find her own life and happiness, but will she?
I loved the descriptions of the exotic specimens, the watercolour paintings and the physicians work in the story.
This is a rich and captivating story, beautifully written for lovers of adventure, science and art and includes themes of loss and tragedy. I loved how the author brings to life a story of women who have been overlooked by history. The end papers of the book are gorgeous and are actual illustrations from the artist in the book.
Publication Date 10 October 2023
Publisher Affirm Press
A huge thanks to the wonderful team at Affirm Press for a copy of the book to read.
September 19, 2023
I was really torn with this book, it definitely is not a page turner, but it was such a beautiful book, quite mesmerising. I sometimes felt like I was reading a scientific textbook with all the descriptions and nature terminology of the studies Maria Merian and her daughter Dorothea (or Dort as she was affectionately known) spent soooooo much time on. Poor Dort seemed to live in her mother's shadow, her character was very solid and strong, I really felt for her, never quite getting the accolades for her talent which was overshadowed by her sister Hannah's artistic talents and her mother's almost obsessive personality, Maria didn't let anything stand in the way of her work, there were a few tender moments where Dort did see her worth and felt the love her mother did have for her which really added to the book. There were times I was captivated, especially the journey Maria and Dort made to Suriname, it would have been terrifying, makes me think how much we take for granted, the pioneers of this time were champions to achieve what they did, just the sea voyage was challenge enough, the painstaking time and effort that was put into capturing the Lavae and specimens was horrendous but also quite breathtaking. I sometimes tried to imagine David Attenborough in the late 1600 to early 1700 and thought this is how he would have had to capture his wildlife studies, with hand drawings and note taking. One scene had an exotic moth emerging from it's cocoon while Maria quickly drew sketch upon sketch in the middle of the night to capture every moment. Maria and Dort didn't have the luxury of a camera lens to document their findings. Although very slow moving I am so happy that I read this book, I feel it would make a beautiful movie, can imagine the photography we have the luxury of today mixing with the time and effort that our main characters in this book had to put into bringing to life this world of insects and plants from the deep jungle of South America. Thank you Better Reading for this advance copy to review, I would love to have given a higher star rating as it is indeed a beautiful book, I encourage anyone thinking about reading it to definitely give it a go.
February 6, 2024
On the face of it this should have been a book I would enjoy - a European historical novel with females at the centre. But I found the narrative disjointed in a way that frequently took me out of the story because I was unsure what was going on and somehow I just wasn’t made to care all that much about the characters. Although this was a fictional telling of people who really lived, I didn’t find that the author managed to create a compelling story from what is known of them. Fairly disappointing.
October 1, 2023
‘Oma, Ma, my sister, Johanna, and I had joined the Labadists at Walta Schloss only two seasons ago and I knew already that they did not like children.’
Set in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, this novel introduces us to Maria Sibylla Merian and her daughters Johanna and Dorothea Graff (known as Dortje), our narrator. Maria Sibylla Merian is a talented naturalist, an artist, and a restless soul. After joining the Labadists—a strict Protestant sect named after its French founder Jean de Labadie (1610–1674)— with her mother and daughters, she separates from her husband. After her mother dies, Maria Sibylla leaves the Labadists and moves to Amsterdam which was, at the time, at the centre of world trade. She then takes Dortje to Suriname where the Labadists had a community. Here, with Dortje’s help, Maria Sibylla immerses herself in understanding and drawing the metamorphoses of the native insects, and in learning about native medicine. Unfortunately, Maria Sibylla contracts malaria, and she and her daughters return to Amsterdam. Here, because she is unable to establish a business as a married woman, Maria Sibylla claims to be a widow. After Johanna marries, Maria Sibylla relies even more heavily on Dortje.
And what about Dortje? While she seems destined to live in her mother’s shadow, she does find happiness before tragedy strikes. As Maria Sibylla’s health fails, Dortje’s own knowledge as a naturalist becomes apparent. And it seems that Dortje’s commitment to preserving Maria Sibylla’s legacy will have a significant emotional and personal cost.
Before I picked up this novel, I knew nothing about Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) and her daughters Johanna (1668-1723) and Dorothea (1678-1743). Part way into the novel, I started searching online for some of the artworks referred to. And by the time I finished this novel, I wanted to know more. For those who are also interested, here’s a link:
Maria Sibylla Merian: pioneering artist of flora and fauna | British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/collect...
Ms Ashley brings Maria Sibylla, her daughters, and the period in which they lived to life. This was a golden age for Amsterdam, thanks to the Dutch East India Company. This is Ms Ashley’s third novel, and I have enjoyed them all.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Affirm Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Set in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, this novel introduces us to Maria Sibylla Merian and her daughters Johanna and Dorothea Graff (known as Dortje), our narrator. Maria Sibylla Merian is a talented naturalist, an artist, and a restless soul. After joining the Labadists—a strict Protestant sect named after its French founder Jean de Labadie (1610–1674)— with her mother and daughters, she separates from her husband. After her mother dies, Maria Sibylla leaves the Labadists and moves to Amsterdam which was, at the time, at the centre of world trade. She then takes Dortje to Suriname where the Labadists had a community. Here, with Dortje’s help, Maria Sibylla immerses herself in understanding and drawing the metamorphoses of the native insects, and in learning about native medicine. Unfortunately, Maria Sibylla contracts malaria, and she and her daughters return to Amsterdam. Here, because she is unable to establish a business as a married woman, Maria Sibylla claims to be a widow. After Johanna marries, Maria Sibylla relies even more heavily on Dortje.
And what about Dortje? While she seems destined to live in her mother’s shadow, she does find happiness before tragedy strikes. As Maria Sibylla’s health fails, Dortje’s own knowledge as a naturalist becomes apparent. And it seems that Dortje’s commitment to preserving Maria Sibylla’s legacy will have a significant emotional and personal cost.
Before I picked up this novel, I knew nothing about Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) and her daughters Johanna (1668-1723) and Dorothea (1678-1743). Part way into the novel, I started searching online for some of the artworks referred to. And by the time I finished this novel, I wanted to know more. For those who are also interested, here’s a link:
Maria Sibylla Merian: pioneering artist of flora and fauna | British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/collect...
Ms Ashley brings Maria Sibylla, her daughters, and the period in which they lived to life. This was a golden age for Amsterdam, thanks to the Dutch East India Company. This is Ms Ashley’s third novel, and I have enjoyed them all.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Affirm Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
June 15, 2024
Fascinating book about a fascinating woman … more to follow later! Present received from my daughter on Mothers Day this year.
Finished this in the wee small hours as I had to see what happened. It’s based on the real person Maria Sibyilla Merian who was one of the greatest naturalists in Europe. It begins Autumn 1686 when the family are part of the religious community group Labadists in Friesland. They left the Lutheran religion to join this. I had to Google this as I’d never heard of them …
“The Labadists were a 17th-century Protestant religious community movement founded by Jean de Labadie (1610–1674), a French pietist. The movement derived its name from that of its founder” Friesland is a province in the Netherlands.
At first I wasn’t too keen on the story as it was a tough life in the community where most of the men were sent out-with the community and the women sort of turned against them if they did not agree to the way of life. Children were taught in groups which is the norm but they had severe and harsh punishment for the slightest misdemeanour. They were afraid to tell their mothers for fear of more punishment. The Sisters were tough on the children and they all slept in dormitories. A bit like what we’ve learned of the nuns with children in homes which I cannot understand!
I’m glad I kept reading as it became so interesting reading about Maria’s studies of insects and butterflies, reptiles and the plants they fed on, and her dedication to the natural world. She and her daughters did drawings of each stage of butterflies lives and dissected them so see how they reproduced and how they looked inside. The attention to detail was amazing. Her daughter Hanna (Johanna) eventually later left their home to marry, she was the best artist, leaving Doda (Doortje /Dorothea) who was the best at mixing colours and materials for her mother. But she was also a brilliant artist too and stayed by her mother when they eventually left the community. Oma (their grandmother) lived with them and it was her death and lack of care which finally made them leave.
Their father was by that time was fed up not seeing his wife and had denounced their beliefs as she had turned against him. He did not agree with the Labadists way of teaching and living. Doda loved her father very much and was angry at her mother not going with her father and about her Oma dying. She accused her mother of not acting sooner to leave and get better health help for her. This made them all leave the community in the end. They went to Suriname as Maria became obsessed by the strange insects and rare butterflies found there … Google again as I’d never heard of that place either but being a retired library worker I research anything I don’t know! …
“Suriname was inhabited as early as the fourth millennium BC by various indigenous peoples, including the Arawaks, Caribs, and Wayana. Europeans arrived in the 16th century, with the Dutch establishing control over much of the country's current territory by the late 17th century. During the Dutch colonial period, Suriname was a lucrative source of sugar. Its plantation economy was initially driven by African slave labour; with the abolition of slavery in 1863, indentured servants were brought from Asia, predominantly from British India and the Dutch East Indies. In 1954, Suriname became a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On 25 November 1975, it became independent following negotiations with the Dutch government. Suriname continues to maintain close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with the Netherlands.”
Maria and her daughters travelled all over to find the most obscure butterflies and insects for Maria to study and even had paid, I guess ‘suppliers’, to send some to her to study in detail. The daughters foraged for insects and pupa while blackberry picking too. Agnetta was their housekeeper, cook and more like family to them since they moved to their own house in Amsterdam
I’m giving too much away now but for me it was such an interesting read once I got past the first few chapters. It ends in Autumn 1717 and so much happens in the final few chapters. There’s an Author’s note at the end detailing Maria’s life and books she had published. Her greatest achievement being “The Metamorphosis of the insects of Suriname”. The author said she became obsessed by this lady during her PhD studies as her history academic introduced her to Maria Sibyilla Merian and showed her the hand-coloured prints. Like all historians this piqued her interest to learn more about her. She even managed to purchase an original sized copy of her main book published by University of Amsterdam (where Maria and her daughter lived after leaving Suriname). It was to commemorate in 2017 the 350th anniversary of Maria’s birth and I’m sure it would not have been a cheap purchase.
Maria had trained both her daughters to be artists so the detail in this is amazing. For a woman to be recognised and made a business out of being a naturalist during that time for me is amazing in itself. I’m so glad Mellisa wrote this book and to Kylie our daughter for buying it for me. Good choice once again.
Finished this in the wee small hours as I had to see what happened. It’s based on the real person Maria Sibyilla Merian who was one of the greatest naturalists in Europe. It begins Autumn 1686 when the family are part of the religious community group Labadists in Friesland. They left the Lutheran religion to join this. I had to Google this as I’d never heard of them …
“The Labadists were a 17th-century Protestant religious community movement founded by Jean de Labadie (1610–1674), a French pietist. The movement derived its name from that of its founder” Friesland is a province in the Netherlands.
At first I wasn’t too keen on the story as it was a tough life in the community where most of the men were sent out-with the community and the women sort of turned against them if they did not agree to the way of life. Children were taught in groups which is the norm but they had severe and harsh punishment for the slightest misdemeanour. They were afraid to tell their mothers for fear of more punishment. The Sisters were tough on the children and they all slept in dormitories. A bit like what we’ve learned of the nuns with children in homes which I cannot understand!
I’m glad I kept reading as it became so interesting reading about Maria’s studies of insects and butterflies, reptiles and the plants they fed on, and her dedication to the natural world. She and her daughters did drawings of each stage of butterflies lives and dissected them so see how they reproduced and how they looked inside. The attention to detail was amazing. Her daughter Hanna (Johanna) eventually later left their home to marry, she was the best artist, leaving Doda (Doortje /Dorothea) who was the best at mixing colours and materials for her mother. But she was also a brilliant artist too and stayed by her mother when they eventually left the community. Oma (their grandmother) lived with them and it was her death and lack of care which finally made them leave.
Their father was by that time was fed up not seeing his wife and had denounced their beliefs as she had turned against him. He did not agree with the Labadists way of teaching and living. Doda loved her father very much and was angry at her mother not going with her father and about her Oma dying. She accused her mother of not acting sooner to leave and get better health help for her. This made them all leave the community in the end. They went to Suriname as Maria became obsessed by the strange insects and rare butterflies found there … Google again as I’d never heard of that place either but being a retired library worker I research anything I don’t know! …
“Suriname was inhabited as early as the fourth millennium BC by various indigenous peoples, including the Arawaks, Caribs, and Wayana. Europeans arrived in the 16th century, with the Dutch establishing control over much of the country's current territory by the late 17th century. During the Dutch colonial period, Suriname was a lucrative source of sugar. Its plantation economy was initially driven by African slave labour; with the abolition of slavery in 1863, indentured servants were brought from Asia, predominantly from British India and the Dutch East Indies. In 1954, Suriname became a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On 25 November 1975, it became independent following negotiations with the Dutch government. Suriname continues to maintain close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with the Netherlands.”
Maria and her daughters travelled all over to find the most obscure butterflies and insects for Maria to study and even had paid, I guess ‘suppliers’, to send some to her to study in detail. The daughters foraged for insects and pupa while blackberry picking too. Agnetta was their housekeeper, cook and more like family to them since they moved to their own house in Amsterdam
I’m giving too much away now but for me it was such an interesting read once I got past the first few chapters. It ends in Autumn 1717 and so much happens in the final few chapters. There’s an Author’s note at the end detailing Maria’s life and books she had published. Her greatest achievement being “The Metamorphosis of the insects of Suriname”. The author said she became obsessed by this lady during her PhD studies as her history academic introduced her to Maria Sibyilla Merian and showed her the hand-coloured prints. Like all historians this piqued her interest to learn more about her. She even managed to purchase an original sized copy of her main book published by University of Amsterdam (where Maria and her daughter lived after leaving Suriname). It was to commemorate in 2017 the 350th anniversary of Maria’s birth and I’m sure it would not have been a cheap purchase.
Maria had trained both her daughters to be artists so the detail in this is amazing. For a woman to be recognised and made a business out of being a naturalist during that time for me is amazing in itself. I’m so glad Mellisa wrote this book and to Kylie our daughter for buying it for me. Good choice once again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2024
I enjoyed this book. I like the author’s gentle telling. She doesn’t hit you over the head with twists and turns in the plot.
I think the thing that probably let it down for me was the possible suggestion that Dort needed to be married to be completely fulfilled. I know that Ashley is constrained by historical events in these stories, but it was just something that grated with me.
Dort’s choice at the end of the book is completely explained by the time in which she was living. I just felt it would have been a more interesting ending if there was a bit more discomfort with this choice and that to choose something different would have been very difficult for any woman, even one as strong and independent as Dort was.
I would have liked to see that contradiction more fully explored. I think that is the difficulty with historical fiction - providing a faithful telling of the events that makes some sense in the time in which it was written.
There were a few times where I thought the effects of colonialism could have been explored a bit more as well. However, no book can be all things. It would also be quite a feat to balance gentle storytelling that Ashley excels in with meaty and polarising topics. While I hope Ashley will do this a bit more loudly in her next book, I still really enjoy Ashley’s gentle writing style.
I think the thing that probably let it down for me was the possible suggestion that Dort needed to be married to be completely fulfilled. I know that Ashley is constrained by historical events in these stories, but it was just something that grated with me.
Dort’s choice at the end of the book is completely explained by the time in which she was living. I just felt it would have been a more interesting ending if there was a bit more discomfort with this choice and that to choose something different would have been very difficult for any woman, even one as strong and independent as Dort was.
I would have liked to see that contradiction more fully explored. I think that is the difficulty with historical fiction - providing a faithful telling of the events that makes some sense in the time in which it was written.
There were a few times where I thought the effects of colonialism could have been explored a bit more as well. However, no book can be all things. It would also be quite a feat to balance gentle storytelling that Ashley excels in with meaty and polarising topics. While I hope Ashley will do this a bit more loudly in her next book, I still really enjoy Ashley’s gentle writing style.
August 19, 2024
No, I didn’t cry. I didn’t fall in love. Nor were my heartstrings made to weep, yet Ashley is no word busker begging coins thrown into the crown of her hat. Her work deserves all the stars I can throw for impeccable research succinctly sung. Laudable literature from an historical virtuoso.
September 16, 2023
3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟
🐛'The Naturalist of Amsterdam' is a caterpillar burgeoning into a butterfly. It has a slow, small beginning, but Dorothea’s move to Suriname creates the cocoon and, by the time she returns, there are wings poised for flight.
🦋It’s a gradual ascent, however. The almost episodic nature of each chapter means that many pages pass before earlier events are given purpose. But, with the dense historical detail, Dorothea’s decadent narrative voice and the timeline of historical events, this slow-ness feels right. It means that, when every plot point is strung together, the ending is satisfying and victorious.
✨An immersive story of female naturalists in 18th century Netherlands, 'The Naturalist of Amsterdam' looks at exploration, love and the measures taken to ensure a lingering legacy. ✨
🐛'The Naturalist of Amsterdam' is a caterpillar burgeoning into a butterfly. It has a slow, small beginning, but Dorothea’s move to Suriname creates the cocoon and, by the time she returns, there are wings poised for flight.
🦋It’s a gradual ascent, however. The almost episodic nature of each chapter means that many pages pass before earlier events are given purpose. But, with the dense historical detail, Dorothea’s decadent narrative voice and the timeline of historical events, this slow-ness feels right. It means that, when every plot point is strung together, the ending is satisfying and victorious.
✨An immersive story of female naturalists in 18th century Netherlands, 'The Naturalist of Amsterdam' looks at exploration, love and the measures taken to ensure a lingering legacy. ✨
August 31, 2025
This epic novel is based on the real life and significant contributions of the women of the Merian family to the field of entomology in 17th century Amsterdam. The language is vivid and descriptive, so you can really picture the fabulous colours of the scientific illustrations these women produced, way ahead of their time in every way. Like The Dictionary of Lost Words, this is another lost and remarkable story of pioneering women in history that deserves to be told.
June 8, 2025
Its a great book. I always like books more when I know the characters have actually existed and there is some form of truth in it. Very interesting to read about the relationship between mother and daughter and how she devotes her whole life to her mom’s legacy. I only despised the old English but thats just part of the time it’s set in.
January 17, 2024
I listened to this audio book and love, love loved it. I couldn’t put it down and listened to it on high speed at any free moment I had. I enjoyed Melissa’s writing style and I was brought to tears many times. Can’t wait to read another book by Melissa!
February 27, 2024
I listened to an audio book. I found it a very interesting story. The youngest daughter of two naturalist parents tells the story of her life. It is interesting in the way it talks of the production of the folios of plants, seeds and animals. Also of the the way the daughter is treated by her mother, and her choices later when her mother has died.
A good read.
A good read.
February 19, 2024
I enjoyed this book along with the others.
August 31, 2024
A very well researched novel, about an interesting family. It is quite slow moving, and the love stories are clumsily handled. But the lives of these women are worth exploring
January 1, 2024
Review to come!
July 9, 2024
Such a pretty cover! I purchased this book, in the anticipation that the inside would be as intriguing as the cover. Silly me. As the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. In this case it is true. I did manage to finish reading it, but it felt like walking a marathon without shoes. Slow-moving narrative, lackluster characters, so many missed opportunities to make the story into really something. In all, most disappointing.
August 8, 2025
It's slow-moving but epic, descriptive, and rich. Beautifully written.
November 3, 2023
Brisbane author Melissa Ashley has made a name for herself with novels that reimagine or rediscover the lives of women overlooked by history, giving these women a voice and a life supported by meticulous research and an attention to detail that breathes authenticity into the pages of her books. Her most recent novel, The Naturalist of Amsterdam (Affirm Press 2023) continues this writing tradition, this time exploring the lives of Maria Sibyilla Merian, an 18th century European naturalist, and more intriguing too, her daughter Dorothea.
Merian is an anomaly in that she gains respect, fame and admiration in a field dominated by men (weren’t they all then?) She collects insects, particularly butterflies and caterpillars, and reproduces exquisite watercolour images of their lifecycles, which she then collates and has printed into much sought after publications that are exciting to all interested in the natural world. A large part of her life was consumed by her fascination of the plants and insects of Suriname, and she made a huge financial and time commitment to travel to tropical South America to study and collect specimens. This resulted in her masterpiece The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname, a huge tome that is highly valued by collectors and ensures her legacy.
But Merian’s ambitions and determined purpose directly affect the choices and opportunities of her family, particularly her daughter Dorothea, who grows up idolising her mother and following in her footsteps – helping her collect specimens and learning not only how to draw and colour, but the steps to platemaking, printing and collating the finished pages into a saleable product. But as Dorothea becomes a young woman, and as the years go by, she begins to sometimes resent the path her mother has set for her, and the narrow options she has for other parts of her life. Other creative pursuits, friendships, love – every aspect of her life is governed by the complete dedication and resolve she commits to her mother and her mother’s work.
There comes a turning point where Dorothea must make a monumental decision: whether to continue to follow her mother’s path, or whether to forge her own way. The pros and cons of both are emotional, infuriating, uncomfortable and difficult. The naturalist of the title is most certainly Merian, but the story is as much, or more, about the decisions and travails of Dorothea, the constraints of the time and the sacrifices women were forced to make to ensure their survival.
Affirm has once again produced a beautiful hardback edition of this book, and similar to Ashley’s previous bestsellers The Birdman’s Wife, and The Bee and the Orange Tree, this edition has gorgeous, coloured endplates of insect and plant life, making it a perfect gift.
Ashley is known for her detailed research and this shines through this book. The chapters cover an intense period and then sometimes the next is several years later – occasionally, when major events have happened off the page and we only read about them in hindsight, I wished for more information about those years. (No spoilers, but one particularly endearing character dies in the interim between two chapters, and I felt the loss more keenly because I had not read of the circumstances until later … but then, perhaps that was Ashley’s intention?)
There is a great balance of insight and internal thoughts weighed against spoken dialogue and action, which allows the reader just the right amount of information needed to understand the plot, but enough white space to imagine what happens off the page. (I realise this sounds contradictory to the previous paragraph…but I lack the skills to elaborate further. You will have to read it yourself to see what I mean.)
The plot is interesting and quite pacy and there are a few twists and surprises along the way. The reader gets to know the characters well enough that we can predict some actions with accuracy, but we are also astonished by some of the revelations. The author’s note at the end is a comprehensive account of the factual scaffolding of the book and answers some of the questions about what happened in real life to the people depicted from 300 years ago (or as much as is known).
Ashley writes with passion and excitement about her subjects, her characters and the time period. Her books impart information in a subtle and interesting way, encouraging readers to think about the lives of women at that time, and how different – or similar – they are to our own.
Merian is an anomaly in that she gains respect, fame and admiration in a field dominated by men (weren’t they all then?) She collects insects, particularly butterflies and caterpillars, and reproduces exquisite watercolour images of their lifecycles, which she then collates and has printed into much sought after publications that are exciting to all interested in the natural world. A large part of her life was consumed by her fascination of the plants and insects of Suriname, and she made a huge financial and time commitment to travel to tropical South America to study and collect specimens. This resulted in her masterpiece The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname, a huge tome that is highly valued by collectors and ensures her legacy.
But Merian’s ambitions and determined purpose directly affect the choices and opportunities of her family, particularly her daughter Dorothea, who grows up idolising her mother and following in her footsteps – helping her collect specimens and learning not only how to draw and colour, but the steps to platemaking, printing and collating the finished pages into a saleable product. But as Dorothea becomes a young woman, and as the years go by, she begins to sometimes resent the path her mother has set for her, and the narrow options she has for other parts of her life. Other creative pursuits, friendships, love – every aspect of her life is governed by the complete dedication and resolve she commits to her mother and her mother’s work.
There comes a turning point where Dorothea must make a monumental decision: whether to continue to follow her mother’s path, or whether to forge her own way. The pros and cons of both are emotional, infuriating, uncomfortable and difficult. The naturalist of the title is most certainly Merian, but the story is as much, or more, about the decisions and travails of Dorothea, the constraints of the time and the sacrifices women were forced to make to ensure their survival.
Affirm has once again produced a beautiful hardback edition of this book, and similar to Ashley’s previous bestsellers The Birdman’s Wife, and The Bee and the Orange Tree, this edition has gorgeous, coloured endplates of insect and plant life, making it a perfect gift.
Ashley is known for her detailed research and this shines through this book. The chapters cover an intense period and then sometimes the next is several years later – occasionally, when major events have happened off the page and we only read about them in hindsight, I wished for more information about those years. (No spoilers, but one particularly endearing character dies in the interim between two chapters, and I felt the loss more keenly because I had not read of the circumstances until later … but then, perhaps that was Ashley’s intention?)
There is a great balance of insight and internal thoughts weighed against spoken dialogue and action, which allows the reader just the right amount of information needed to understand the plot, but enough white space to imagine what happens off the page. (I realise this sounds contradictory to the previous paragraph…but I lack the skills to elaborate further. You will have to read it yourself to see what I mean.)
The plot is interesting and quite pacy and there are a few twists and surprises along the way. The reader gets to know the characters well enough that we can predict some actions with accuracy, but we are also astonished by some of the revelations. The author’s note at the end is a comprehensive account of the factual scaffolding of the book and answers some of the questions about what happened in real life to the people depicted from 300 years ago (or as much as is known).
Ashley writes with passion and excitement about her subjects, her characters and the time period. Her books impart information in a subtle and interesting way, encouraging readers to think about the lives of women at that time, and how different – or similar – they are to our own.
October 8, 2024
This novel is historical fiction based on the real Maria Sybyilla Merian and her daughters. The story is mostly told through the eyes of the youngest daughter Dorothea, who is 8 years old at the start of the novel in 1686. Dorothea overhears a heated argument between her parents. They've been becoming more frequent since the family moved to the Labadists religious sect's settlement of Walta Schloss. Maria has already established herself as a naturalist, painter and engraver along with her husband. The father leaves shortly after. The Labadists perform vicious punishments to children they feel are misbehaving, when they are just being children. Thus Dorothea resents where they are living and her Mother for sending her beloved Father away. After a few years though Maria decides to join the sects new settlement in Suriname in South America. Over the couple of years there, Maria with the help of her daughter collects many plant and animal species to paint and collect. And after a couple years, growing frustrated with the rules of the Labadists, Maria decides to relocate to Amsterdam and establish her own business, which she is allowed to do by feigning being a widow and joins the painters guild, the only one that allows women members. It is here that Dorothea really comes into her own as a woman now, although always at the service of her Mother. The novel concludes in the year of 1717. Of course, many successes, happiness and tragedies occur in the intervening years. D0rothea's work ensures her mother's lasting legacy and both plus sister Johannah are now regarded as early naturalists and recognized for some of the earliest realistic renditions of plants, insects and animals in print. Many of the characters and events are real people and occurrences. From the extensive author notes and bibliography, Ms Ashley did a lot of research on the subject put flesh and blood into the main characters. A thoroughly enjoyable read. I especially liked that the author included this passage showcasing the Indigenous woman have known for centuries which plants could aid them when a pregnancy was unwise to follow through: "I'd planned to astonish Georg about its properties: how, accordinig to Kim, the indigenous women of Suriname taught the African women the secret of brewing the peacock plant into a drink that could be taken to stop a pregnancy. Kim had told Ma that some slaves believed it better to not bring a child into a life made wretched by the nasty greed of the Dutch and English sugar planters."
August 21, 2025
I've just finished 'The Naturalist of Amsterdam' by Queenslander Melissa Ashley (@1melissaashley) who also wrote multi award-winning 'The Birdman's Wife', and 'The Bee and the Orange Tree'. Avid and intimate explorations in nature and history feature in Ashely's stories. I'm looking forward to reading her others.
What is a naturalist, you ask? No, it's not about wandering around in the nuddy. It's any person who studies the natural world. I've mentioned the genre 'eco-fiction' recently, inspired by the environmental content of many Barbara Kingsolver novels. 'The Naturalist of Amsterdam' (published in 2023, @affirmpress) is set in the 1700s, so references to climate change doesn't happen here. But Ashley's respect and value of nature is so palpable, I believe it fits the genre, possibly even without meaning to.
Studying nature takes patience. It is a slow moving activity. It can even be meditative. So 'The Naturalist of Amsterdam' is an entirely appropriate gentle and slow-moving tale. But, with all the detail on insects and printing processes, this is not a romp of a read. It takes a bit of effort.
Based on the real life of Maria Sibylla Merian, a pioneering entomologist and botanical artist, the story is told through the eyes of her daughter Dorothea Graff (known as 'Dort' and 'Dortje'), also an exceptional botanical illustrator. Dort takes us from a strict religious community of Labadists in Friesland (Netherlands) were she partially grew up, to the jungles of South America to study ecology before settling in Amsterdam to work industriously in her mother's art studio as an assistant.
Themes of loyalty and ambition, along with sacrifice and female empowerment, all arise while Dorothea navigates tensions arising from this potent relationship with her fiercely determined mother. If you are fascinated by the world of natural science illustration, I highly recommend this gem of a read.
What is a naturalist, you ask? No, it's not about wandering around in the nuddy. It's any person who studies the natural world. I've mentioned the genre 'eco-fiction' recently, inspired by the environmental content of many Barbara Kingsolver novels. 'The Naturalist of Amsterdam' (published in 2023, @affirmpress) is set in the 1700s, so references to climate change doesn't happen here. But Ashley's respect and value of nature is so palpable, I believe it fits the genre, possibly even without meaning to.
Studying nature takes patience. It is a slow moving activity. It can even be meditative. So 'The Naturalist of Amsterdam' is an entirely appropriate gentle and slow-moving tale. But, with all the detail on insects and printing processes, this is not a romp of a read. It takes a bit of effort.
Based on the real life of Maria Sibylla Merian, a pioneering entomologist and botanical artist, the story is told through the eyes of her daughter Dorothea Graff (known as 'Dort' and 'Dortje'), also an exceptional botanical illustrator. Dort takes us from a strict religious community of Labadists in Friesland (Netherlands) were she partially grew up, to the jungles of South America to study ecology before settling in Amsterdam to work industriously in her mother's art studio as an assistant.
Themes of loyalty and ambition, along with sacrifice and female empowerment, all arise while Dorothea navigates tensions arising from this potent relationship with her fiercely determined mother. If you are fascinated by the world of natural science illustration, I highly recommend this gem of a read.
October 15, 2023
Our Review...
Set around the turn of the 18th century, this spectacular novel deftly draws the reader into the life of one of Europe’s most brilliant naturalists, Maria Sibylla Merian.
Amsterdam was at the centre of an intellectual revolution. Maria’s reputation was growing but she was restless, fired with a determination to explore the treasure trove of plants and insects she’d heard tales of in Suriname- a Dutch colony in the Americas.
An assistant was for this undertaking and with some trepidation her daughter Dorothea agreed to accompany her mother on what was to become an extraordinary mission.
The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname – produced on Maria’s return – was greeted as a masterpiece, cementing her reputation as one of Europe’s brightest. Ironically this created a burden for her dutiful daughter who felt obligated to continue her mother’s legacy.
Ashley’s meticulous descriptions of European artistic, cultural and scientific life are fascinating, but it is Maria and Dorothea’s relationship that is central to the story. Bound to each other by a shared commitment to Maria’s genius and their singular aloneness, the two women together face tragedy, loss, adventure, and the challenge of surviving in a world of cut throat male competitors.
A feast for the senses, the descriptions of exotic plant and animal life are voluptuous, as are the illustrations, designs and art works Maria and her daughter produced. An unexpected bonus for me has been the even greater sense of wonder in nature that this novel inspired. A gift indeed!
Review by Rosi Lever @ Great Escape Books Patron
Set around the turn of the 18th century, this spectacular novel deftly draws the reader into the life of one of Europe’s most brilliant naturalists, Maria Sibylla Merian.
Amsterdam was at the centre of an intellectual revolution. Maria’s reputation was growing but she was restless, fired with a determination to explore the treasure trove of plants and insects she’d heard tales of in Suriname- a Dutch colony in the Americas.
An assistant was for this undertaking and with some trepidation her daughter Dorothea agreed to accompany her mother on what was to become an extraordinary mission.
The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname – produced on Maria’s return – was greeted as a masterpiece, cementing her reputation as one of Europe’s brightest. Ironically this created a burden for her dutiful daughter who felt obligated to continue her mother’s legacy.
Ashley’s meticulous descriptions of European artistic, cultural and scientific life are fascinating, but it is Maria and Dorothea’s relationship that is central to the story. Bound to each other by a shared commitment to Maria’s genius and their singular aloneness, the two women together face tragedy, loss, adventure, and the challenge of surviving in a world of cut throat male competitors.
A feast for the senses, the descriptions of exotic plant and animal life are voluptuous, as are the illustrations, designs and art works Maria and her daughter produced. An unexpected bonus for me has been the even greater sense of wonder in nature that this novel inspired. A gift indeed!
Review by Rosi Lever @ Great Escape Books Patron
February 20, 2024
The Naturalist of Amsterdam is a glimpse into a period of history that I knew very little about - the Dutch Golden Age. It particularly focused on often overlooked female naturalists and botanists, namely Maria Merian who I now have a huge appreciation for! I found myself so excited when a new anatomist, artist or botanist was introduced because it meant I could do a quick online search of their art and discover how much detail and vibrancy was poured into the work.
This book meandered through multiple decades, detailing the life, relationships and personal growth of Maria Merian’s daughter, Dorothea, and every now and then there was some stunning imagery used to describe the art and the wintry, urban landscapes of Amsterdam. It was refreshing that themes of mental illness, marriage breakdown and women’s issues were explored - most books set in the 17th-18th century would certainly not be focusing on these things with such detail.
The only thing I would change (or add!) about this book are more descriptions of place and setting - some of the passages are so beautiful but feel like they are cut short to move the plot along. Also, I love Amsterdam and Dutch food, culture, history, so I felt like I always wanted more! Overall, I found the story fascinating - from the Labadist community to the disturbing anatomical works of Frederik Ruysch, and the time and heart Maria and her daughters poured into the paintings, sketches and watercolours which would become iconic in the world of botany - and will definitely revisit 📚
This book meandered through multiple decades, detailing the life, relationships and personal growth of Maria Merian’s daughter, Dorothea, and every now and then there was some stunning imagery used to describe the art and the wintry, urban landscapes of Amsterdam. It was refreshing that themes of mental illness, marriage breakdown and women’s issues were explored - most books set in the 17th-18th century would certainly not be focusing on these things with such detail.
The only thing I would change (or add!) about this book are more descriptions of place and setting - some of the passages are so beautiful but feel like they are cut short to move the plot along. Also, I love Amsterdam and Dutch food, culture, history, so I felt like I always wanted more! Overall, I found the story fascinating - from the Labadist community to the disturbing anatomical works of Frederik Ruysch, and the time and heart Maria and her daughters poured into the paintings, sketches and watercolours which would become iconic in the world of botany - and will definitely revisit 📚
September 13, 2023
Set in the 1700’s in Amsterdam and Suriname, South America this novel reveals the amazing lives of two particularly talented artists. Dorothea Graff, the daughter of the well renowned artist and author Maria Sibylla Merian, serves her mother while being starved of her love in a strict sect. Dort’s loving grandmother makes her time at the sect bearable along with the invaluable learning of classical languages. Upon leaving the sect, Maria is unsettled so they move to Suriname where Maria immerses herself into her naturalist work on the metamorphosis of the native insects. They return to Amsterdam after Maria contracts malaria and she opens a business as a “widow”.
The descriptions of the landscapes, insects and artworks are exquisite. At times it is difficult to ascertain whether Maria is a scientist or an artist but as Maria’s health starts to fail and Dort takes over the task of preserving her mother’s legacy it becomes apparent that Dort’s intelligent observation of her mother’s work has allowed her to develop into a fine naturalist in her own right.
The novel explored the themes of “ modern” medicine and indigenous remedies, feminist issues, the class structure and the shipping trade. Highly recommended.
The descriptions of the landscapes, insects and artworks are exquisite. At times it is difficult to ascertain whether Maria is a scientist or an artist but as Maria’s health starts to fail and Dort takes over the task of preserving her mother’s legacy it becomes apparent that Dort’s intelligent observation of her mother’s work has allowed her to develop into a fine naturalist in her own right.
The novel explored the themes of “ modern” medicine and indigenous remedies, feminist issues, the class structure and the shipping trade. Highly recommended.
September 15, 2023
Dorothea (Dort) is the daugher of a well known scientific painter and from a child has assisted her mother in her painting. From catching and breeding insects that her mother paints, to learning the art of drawing, painting and coloring for her mother. She devotes her life to helping her mother to realize her dreams, and has little time or opportunity to follow her own. Although this work is interesting, Dort wonders if this is all she will ever achieve.
Even though The Naturalist of Amsterdam is fiction, I found it really informative: on the Labadist movement, on Dutch colonisation, and on scientific painting and how it lead to scientific discoveries. The story follows the about thirty years of Dort’s life and I felt the heaviness and sadness in the novel of trying to achieve someone else’s dreams and not your own. The author is really able to portray the lack of excitement and joy in the duty Dort feels to her mother as well as the dedication. However it is encouraging and uplifting to see how she finally takes the risk to follow her own dream. I enjoyed following Dort’s journey.
This is an unbiased review of an advanced copy supplied by Better Reading
Even though The Naturalist of Amsterdam is fiction, I found it really informative: on the Labadist movement, on Dutch colonisation, and on scientific painting and how it lead to scientific discoveries. The story follows the about thirty years of Dort’s life and I felt the heaviness and sadness in the novel of trying to achieve someone else’s dreams and not your own. The author is really able to portray the lack of excitement and joy in the duty Dort feels to her mother as well as the dedication. However it is encouraging and uplifting to see how she finally takes the risk to follow her own dream. I enjoyed following Dort’s journey.
This is an unbiased review of an advanced copy supplied by Better Reading
March 7, 2025
The Naturalist of Amsterdam is geschreven door Melissa Ashley en ik heb dit boek gekregen als kerstcadeautje. Ik was voornamelijk benieuwd naar het boek omdat het er erg mooi uitzag en historische romans me altijd wel aanspreken. Het verhaal speelt zich af aan het begin van de 18e eeuw en volgt Dorothea Graff, de dochter van de beroemde naturalist en kunstenares Maria Merian. Samen met haar moeder reist Dorothea naar Suriname om de flora en fauna te bestuderen en illustreren.
De schrijfstijl is erg gedetailleerd en beschrijvend, wat het tempo in het verhaal wat vertraagde en het op momenten langdradig aanvoelde. Dorothea's innerlijke strijd tussen loyaliteit aan haar moeder en haar eigen ambities wordt erg goed weergegeven. Maria Sibylla Merian wordt neergezet als een gepassioneerde maar veeleisende moeder en wetenschapper. Ik vond de historische setting en de focus op vrouwelijk wetenschappers erg goed in dit boek.
The Naturalist of Amsterdam is een mooi geschreven historische roman, maar het langzame tempo maakt het niet altijd even boeiend. Ik zou het aanbevelen aan lezers die houden van historische fictie en gedetailleerde beschrijvingen in een boek.
De schrijfstijl is erg gedetailleerd en beschrijvend, wat het tempo in het verhaal wat vertraagde en het op momenten langdradig aanvoelde. Dorothea's innerlijke strijd tussen loyaliteit aan haar moeder en haar eigen ambities wordt erg goed weergegeven. Maria Sibylla Merian wordt neergezet als een gepassioneerde maar veeleisende moeder en wetenschapper. Ik vond de historische setting en de focus op vrouwelijk wetenschappers erg goed in dit boek.
The Naturalist of Amsterdam is een mooi geschreven historische roman, maar het langzame tempo maakt het niet altijd even boeiend. Ik zou het aanbevelen aan lezers die houden van historische fictie en gedetailleerde beschrijvingen in een boek.
Read
March 4, 2024The Naturalist of Amsterdam is an experience, an immersion into a literary paradise of superb setting, fine characterisation and exquisite prose. This historical fiction masterpiece is narrated through the voice of Dorothea Graff, apprenticed to her mother Maria Sibyilla Merian, artist and naturalist, whose life’s work is understanding and cataloguing the insects of Europe and Suriname. Dorothea recounts the harsh reality of life in the religious community of the Labadists in Friesland, their struggle to survive as independent women when they move to 1700s Amsterdam and their perilous adventure to Suriname. Melissa Ashley colours the everydayness of their lives—their loves, the hardships, the losses and griefs—with sketches and paintings of insects of every kind, at all stages of their life-cycles, as well as the plants that host them and the many other creatures in their orbit. Butterflies and caterpillars, moths, mantises, frogs and birds. Melissa Ashley has delivered a vivid dream of a story with the literary brushstrokes of a master wordsmith.
November 24, 2023
Anchored in some real, historical characters, this is a very intimate look at a family of talented, ambitious women in late 17th and early 18th century Amsterdam. It is told through the eyes of the younger daughter, a character I couldn’t quite warm to despite high levels of empathy. But the ending was, for me anyway, satisfyingly sentimental. The historian and sentimentalist in me wanted the novel to continue, to see Dorothea flourish, but this is left to our imaginations. I found the Author’s Note at the end very revealing in how the subject matter captured Melissa Ashley’s imagination but she struggled for a long time to find the right angle for the novel. It is an interesting approach, in the end, which I found absorbing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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