Midnight in the Dollhouse

When the Dolls Woke #1

by Marjorie Filley Stover

A family of dolls--ones that walk and talk among themselves when humans are asleep--renews nine-year-old Melissa's interest in life when she faces four months on her back with a broken hip. "Stover captures . . . the ambiance of a warm, 19th-Century family story, and an element of fantasy".--School Library Journal.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical

159 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1989

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Majorie Filley Stover's 1989 historical fiction middle grade novel Midnight in the Dollhouse, set in a village near Boston immediately after the US Civil War, so in the late 1860s (which I read on Open Library and that I now also want to read the sequel When the Dolls Woke although When the Dolls Woke was actually penned and published before Midnight in the Dollhouse albeit it takes place a century earlier) Filley Stover presents main protagonist Melissa Wurling (nine years old and soon to turn ten) as a tomboy who would rather be running a footrace than to be playing with dolls, but that in Midnight in the Dollhouse it is indeed a family of dolls and a dollhouse (a gift from her mother and from her older brother Vance respectively) which renew Melissa's interest in life when she faces many months of having to lie immobile and totally flat on her back with a broken hip after falling out of a tree.

But I do have to admit that after reading the synopsis for Midnight in the Dollhouse I was at first wondering (and with some trepidation) whether Marjorie Filley Stover's text would be somewhat preachy against tomboyishness like for example is definitely the case with Louisa May Alcott's 1880 Jack and Jill and with Susan Coolidge's 1872 What Katy Did, but that and fortunately so, Filley Stover never in my opinion becomes in any manner textually didactic in and throughout Midnight in the Dollhouse and that Melissa Wurling's accident is just described as what it is and signifies, simply an accident, and nothing more than this.

Now in Midnight in the Dollhouse the dolls (Melissa's doll family of Sir Gregory, Lady Alice, Maribelle and Tommy as well as later on in the story the two Japanese dolls Miss Cherry and Miss Blossom, Gloria, Martinique and Wade) are shown by Marjorie Filley Stover as being able to silently communicate with in particular Melissa and are also described as in fact talking amongst themselves and walking around, being mobile, being animated at night, often precisely at midnight (hence the book title), when the humans inhabiting the Wurling home are fast asleep (naturally, never artificially so, and that Filley Stover also does not exaggerate and does not have the dolls ever totally take over the storyline either, which delightfully prevents Midnight in the Dollhouse from becoming tedious, from boring and frustrating both my inner child and equally so adult me, since doll fiction stories that focus too much and too one-sidedly on dolls and primarily if not solely on dolls are not really all that much my thing so to speak).

So while Melissa Wurling in Midnight in the Dollhouse is recovering and waiting for her broken hip bone to mend, to fuse together again (and which it does albeit a trifle crookedly so that sadly she will always be walking with a limp), Melissa and the doll family (the above mentioned Sir Gregory, Lady Alice, Maribelle, and Tommy) are shown as having all kinds of adventures together, well, that is until until Mrs Wurling's cousin Julia comes to visit from South Carolina with her arrogantly snooty daughter Valerie, and with Valerie and her similarly stuck-up doll Gloria being presented by Marjorie Filley Stover in Midnight in the Dollhouse as immediately taking over the dollhouse (as well as in fact being allowed to do this by both Melissa's mother and by her brother Vance) and thereby making not only Melissa's but also her doll family's lives utterly miserable. But indeed, since they were on the side of the Confederacy during the Civil War, Cousin Julia and her family (including Valerie) are also being shown in Midnight in the Dollhouse as about to lose their plantation (White Oaks) to so-called carpetbaggers from the North and that only the retrieval of a lost family treasure would be able to prevent this from happening (and yes, the ending for Midnight in the Dollhouse is certainly decently happy for all and sundry and is also rather satisfying for both humans and dolls alike, as well as kind of romantic as well).

And finally, while my inner middle grade reader (from about the age of nine to twelve) has really and massively enjoyed Midnight in the Dollhouse and does actually also manage to feel more than a bit of empathy for Valerie (even while at the same time finding her arrogance and her put-downs hugely aggravating) and especially so after Valerie is shown by Filley Stover as both apologising to Melissa in Midnight in the Dollhouse (and also explaining to her cousin how hard and traumatic the Civil War had been for her family and how the aftermath is still horrible, that much of her testiness, arrogance and nastiness had in fact been due to Valerie feeling envious of Melissa and of her generally happy home life), yes, my adult reading self (actually, my reading self past the age of twelve), she does find the historical details being provided in Midnight in the Dollhouse frustratingly sketchy and the attitudes even of Melissa's anti Confederacy and anti slavery family regarding politics etc. rather simplistic at best (but considering that Midnight in the Dollhouse takes place in the 1860s, it is probably realistic that Marjorie Filley Stover would have Melissa's sea captain father bring back for his bedridden daughter very stereotypical Japanese dolls and a black skinned doll from Martinique who is depicted as doing voodoo and who sadly is also made into a servant for the dollhouse by Valerie).

And yes, and generally speaking, Filley Stover does with Midnight in the Dollhouse certainly capture in a nicely readable and age appropriate manner and style the ambiance of a warm, 19th-century family story (with a bit of dollish fantasy but not too much of this, and that the dolls' lives also mesh smoothly with the world that has been created for them, and with their interaction with Melissa Wurling feeling nicely believable and as such not too fairy tale like either), not to mention that Marjorie Filley Stover also makes the prickly relationship between Melissa and her cousin Valerie feel realistic (with neither girl being either a total heroine or a total villain, and that of course Midnight in the Dollhouse also gently shows Melissa coming to terms with the fact that although her broken hip has healed, that her hip bone is intact again, she unfortunately will be walking with a limp for the rest of her life).

Three and a half stars for Midnight in the Dollhouse but upped to four stars because for my inner child, Filley Stover's story has been totally, has been absolutely enjoyable and definitely much more so than for many other dollhouse stories I have rated with three stars, so yes, I am simply going to have to increase my rating of and for Midnight in the Dollhouse to four stars.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Melissa breaks her leg in a fall from a tree and has to spend a long time in bed. The civil war has just ended so not only does Melissa have to lay still with planks tied to her leg she has to endure a visit from cousin Valerie from the opposing side stay with them. The cousin is manipulative and jealous of Melissa. Valerie is also jealous of the doll's house that her brother made for her to take her mind off not being able to play outside.

We enjoyed the descriptions of the dolls and their life in the doll's house. The author kept using the phrase ' papa doll's vapours swirled' we hadn't heard of this expression, presumably it means he felt worried, this way of describing doll anxiety did become annoying and I started to leave those words out as they were repeated so often. There are some parts that may seem dated but are probably realistic given the period of history the story was set in.

It was a fun read aloud, I would recommend this to readers who like doll stories and might be interesting to a child who has broken a bone and can't be physically active. We will read the next story soon which continues with the same dolls 100 yrs on.

[Rachel :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book when I was younger!! I want to re-read it soon!

[Brenda]

My favorite "scary doll book" as a child. For some reason in the 80's, there were many books in this genre. If you're wondering, I didn't make up that genre title, the 12 year old who asked me for "scary doll books" and sent me on a trip down memory lane gets to claim that. For further reference, please see Behind the Attic Wall, The Doll in the Garden, and The Dollhouse Murders.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED Midnight in the Dollhouse when I was younger. I wanted my own little dollhouse full of talking dolls (well, they only talk when you're asleep!). Oddly, I never owned this book. I was constantly checking it out from the library at school though. I think at one point the librarian actually tried to get me to try something else... I couldn't be swayed.

The story is about eight-year-old Melissa. When climbing the big tree in her backyard, Melissa falls and breaks her hip. This leaves her bed-ridden for AT LEAST four months (by the way, the story takes place right after the Civil War). Always more of a tomboy, Melissa never had much use for dolls. At least not until she had nothing else to do! Her mother buys Melissa a small doll family whom Melissa names: Sir Gregory, Lady Alice, Maribelle, & Tommy. Melissa's older brother, Vance, builds her a beautiful dollhouse and all her family's servants help her furnish it!

Then, Melissa's cousin Valerie comes to visit from the South. Valerie's family is very close to losing their home to Carpetbaggers if they can't find the family gold that Valerie's grandfather took from its original hiding place and re-hid so that the Northern soliders couldn't find it. Grandfather died before he could tell anyone where the gold was hidden. Now its up to the dolls to try and figure out the mystery!

Such a cute, cute story! I'm so glad that I found a copy of this book as its out of print now. Hooray for eBay and books no one really wants, so I only had to pay $1 for it!!

[Bethany]

Until the Southern cousins came to stay, I did not realize that this book was set right after the Civil War. I had thought it was a bit weird that the teen brother went to sea with his father, but it made a lot more sense with that historical context! I guess the author was writing for young readers and kept the language rather contemporary.

I didn't dislike this. I could see child me reading it multiple times, and getting indignant on behalf of the main character. As an adult, I winced at how Martinique (named after the place she was made) was written. That would be my main critique.

[Lydia E Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books as a child. In fact, it is one of only three books I saved from then (one of the remaining two being the sequel).

I read recently on a list of self care suggestions to re-read your childhood favorite books and this seemed like the natural place to start. I was surprised how much of the story I remembered. My mother built me a dollhouse and I remember how much I loved it, just as Melissa loved hers.

I was surprised by how many historical details were neatly tucked into this kids book. I loved the relationship between Melissa and Valerie. Such different little girls. You could really sympathize with Melissa and her feelings, but also with Valerie.

All in all, a great read. Highly recommend it to all little girls (and big girls) who love dollhouses.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a little girl and loved it so much I read it over and over again!

[Silas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book as a kid. For some reason I completely forgot about the post-Civil War "we must save poor cousin Valerie's plantation!!!" plotline, as well as poor Martinique the "voodoo doll", bought on an overseas trip and taken to America, only to be immediately designated housemaid by the wretched and manipulative cousin Valerie. My primary memories of this book have always been of red silk flowers, pin-head furniture knobs, and emotional "vapors" swirling through tiny bisque bodies.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m glad this childhood favorite of mine held up.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not quite as exciting as the other book, it's still excellently written. It's fun to see how the dollhouse and its inhabitants came together, and there's still hidden treasure to be found!

[Bunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books where I remember tiny details, almost ungoogleable, and spend decades trying to remember enough to read it again.

Do you know how many books came out in the 80s and early 90s about a girl and her sentient dolls? Because y'all.

All the love to OpenLibrary, which is how I managed to finally find it, and I FINALLY got around to reading it today between work.

This came out in '89, when I was 7, so there's a good chance that's round about how old I was when I read it. And the only thing I remember is the girl breaking a bone and having one leg permanently shorter than the other. And do I think that's why I was hesitant to do ANYTHING that would break a bone in my body? Probably.

So, this book is problematic! As were OH so many books from my childhood. Who knew that a book set shortly after the Civil War with a snobby cousin who was certain they didn't abuse their "negros" could be a problem?!

An effort was made, I will say. I don't want to drag Ms Stover entirely over the coals. I mean, the parts featuring the doll from Martinique were especially painful, but. An attempt was made!

I really did enjoy revisiting this. It's a childhood read, and those will always hold a special spot.

[Devon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy doll books are my jam but this one isn't actually creepy...like...hardly at all. They try to throw in a slightly creepy element at the very end but it's too little too late. Luckily, I'm fine with that, because we get a dollhouse and we solve a mystery. And there's tons of details about the dolls and outfits and dollhouse furnishings.

Unfortunately, the plot does drag on a little long, and the setting (and historical time) makes it very weird tone-wise because we're threading a very thin line of being insensitive about the Reconstruction era. But if you're also a "creepy" doll book connoisseur, this will scratch the itch.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! I read this book so many times growing up. I remember getting it from a Scholastic book order and thinking that the idea of the dolls in a dollhouse coming to life was just the best. It also definitely added to the time I spent playing with my own dollhouse and how seriously I took those games. I can't believe I hadn't added it to my read list before now.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay but a little odd book. Doll and dollhouse books are really hit or miss with me. This one was okay except I really didn't like how the "doll's vapors" were mentioned constantly. It was just a little strange.

[Elizabeth Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The girls are so real and the dolls are strangely realistic too. The situations that came up had me on-edge. I felt the pain and frustration, but I liked the characters and storyline. The ending made me very happy!

[Ambie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I was 9 when I read this. I remember really liking it.

[K.R. Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this when I was a kid and enjoyed it. Would like to get my hands on it to add to my shelf.

[Lucy]

I read and re-read this so many times as a kid! I feel reluctant to give it a rating as I no longer remember much about the actual book, but I do have fond memories of it.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another community book sale find - one of my very favorite books as a kid that spawned my love of dollhouses and our own adventures. I can’t believe this book wasn’t more popular. It’s just so sweet!

[Basil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar to the borrowers except a lot more serious.
Decent book.

[Maggie Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such as magical read for me as a little girl! 💗💗💗

[Margaret Pinello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of this book stood the test of time, some of it did not. Overall, my eight year enjoyed it and it gave us a chance to talk about the impacts of the Civil War.

[TheOldBookLady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book so much as a little girl, I connived to “accidentally” lose it so my mother would have to pay for it from our neighborhood library so I could keep it forever. Fortunately, my conscience won out over my covetousness and I didn’t go through with my plan. But returning this book was a wrench to my heart.

Highly recommended for little girls who love dolls and magic, yes I believed dolls had their own private lives. I remember believing this as a small girl, so I am sure this book reinforced my ideas about what my porcelain dolls got up to when no one was around.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

In finding When the Dolls Woke, we discovered there was a prequel, too. I had no recollection of it at all, but once my ILL copy came in, it all came back to me. Definitely less fun than the original, imo - I appreciated that at least here, Melissa didn't consider herself or her defining characteristic to be "lame," although part of the story was her coming to terms with her broken hip leaving her with a permanent limp. I still didn't like the plot about the Southern cousin coming up for the first time since the end of the Civil War, but it was a fun enough read. What I really wish is that there was a book for Abby and Corrine - I want to read more about Corrine and Tim eloping (all the way west to Indiana!!) and Abby's life. I wonder if it was originally meant to be a series going through all the generations?

I actually seem to have vague remembrances about Corrine and Tim beyond what came up in When the Dolls Woke, but I can't tell if it's because it was a book, I mentally wrote fanfic as a child or there is a similar plot in Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. Hmm.

Originally read 1990/1991.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this prequel to When the Dolls Woke, it is just after the Civil War and eight-year-old tomboy, Melissa falls and breaks her hip, finding herself bedridden for four months. She's angry and at loose ends until her mother buys her a doll family and her beloved older brother Vance helps to build her a dollhouse. Later her mother's cousin Julia and her daughter Valerie come to visit from the South and the dolls help them find clues to buried treasure, unbeknownst to the girls.

When I found out that there is a prequel to one of my favorite books from childhood, I had to read it. It gives the backstory on how the dolls were acquired and how the dollhouse came to be. I enjoyed learning this history and having another story filled with magic and mystery. Like the first book, it has some problematic things. Most notably there are Japanese dolls who speak in a very stereotypical way and there are comments made by Melissa's cousin who is from the confederate South that might be offensive to some. However, these are only small parts of the book. The rest is charming just like the first book. Any girl or boy who loves dolls and dollhouses will enjoy it.

[Kelsey Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might give this four stars now reading it as an adult, but I don’t want to detract from the enchantment I felt with this story that I read several times as a kid. This very well could have been the first book that gave me a lifelong love of dollhouses. (Does anyone else find it annoying that dollhouses are so often associated with horror now?)

This story combines themes of childhood disappointment and learning to get along with someone you don’t like with an endearing doll family from the old times…1860s, to be exact… who help to solve a mystery. Reading how Melissa and her family and friends put the dollhouse together still hasn’t lost its appeal to me. :)

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was little, and still love it. Kind of "toy story" ish, if Toy Story were about dollhouse dolls and hidden treasure was involved. Although it's the prequel to "When the Dolls Woke," I liked the main character in this one better than our original heroine, even if the plot isn't necessarily as fun. Also, these two books are solely responsible for the behemoth of a dollhouse currently lurking in my parents' basement. :)

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This read very familiarly, when it came to the dolls' descriptions, but not the plot. And I was surprised to find that the author was a Purdue historian in West Lafayette. After investigating, I found that this is a prequel and I think I read the other book (When the Dolls Woke) a lot as a kid, checking it out from the Purdue undergrad library, which I haven't thought of in years. So this was a bit deja vu, but still an interesting kids' book.

[Danielle Routh · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sisters and I loved this book when we were younger, and I'll definitely be holding onto it for my own future children. The story feels somewhat jerky and disjointed, but I love the way the dolls are characterized--the concept of their "vapors" always confused me as a kid.

2020: I was struck this reading by how well Stover treats other cultures, especially Martinique. Pretty impressive for 1992.