A Good Book for a Cold January...

The Ten Thousand Doors of January

By Alix E. Harrow.

“Stories may change the world”

Hello 1000 Bookies!  For my book club at my office, I recently selected and then read The Ten Thousand Doors of January.  This is the debut novel of author, Alix E. Harrow.  First and foremost, I enjoyed the story very much.  So much so that I messaged the author, Ms. Harrow through twitter and asked if she was developing a sequel or continuation of the story.  Alas she was not but currently working on a historical fiction story for later this year.  Her writing was great, and I look forward to reading that book when the novel is published.  The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a science fiction/fantasy novel about doorways to other worlds.  The story is about two opposing forces trying to close the doors on once side while the other is attempting to keep open those doorways.  The story is well written.  The tale is not slow and does not become bogged down.  The main characters are sympathetic.  I would strongly recommend reading this novel. Sitting by the fire on a cold January night reading of other worlds seems quite magical. I chose this book for the January book club selection because of its name. A title with January in it intrigued me.  I was not disappointed.   My only complaint on the novel is the limitless possibilities on making an adventure of these doorways.  January, Samuel, Jane and the rest could easily have adventures in the other worlds. 

The story takes place at the beginning of the turn of the last century.  A girl named January is living on an estate in Vermont.   January’s father works for the man who owns the estate.  Her father is an adventurer going all over the world looking for artifacts and bringing them back to Vermont to the estate for his boss to keep or to sell.  However very quickly you find that Julian, January’s father finds no joy in his adventures.  January is also of mixed race—and we find a racial prejudice as a component to the story.   January is kept protected by her guardian from the outside world, while her father pops in and out of her life.  As the story progresses, you get the feeling that she is a piece in Mr. Locke’s collection.

As a young girl, January goes with Mr. Locke on a trip to a small town in western Kentucky on the banks of the Mississippi River.  While he is in meetings, January wanders through the town, and comes to a field and stumbles upon a blue door.  She opens and wanders through the doorway.  This blue doorway leads her to another world and takes January to a world where she sees a city by the sea, which she finds fascinating and beautiful.  Mr. Locke starts to look for January and she returns through the door.  The next day when she goes to the doorway, January discovers it has been destroyed.

The years will pass by and January befriends the grocer’s son, Samuel, who delivers to the home.  He brings her stories for her to read.  The boy eventually gives January a puppy, Bad short for Sinbad, who becomes her protector.  Eventually her father sends a lady named Jane to look after her.  Those are January’s friends. 

The story takes a turn when January discovers a book in a chest.  The chest usually contains little gifts which January believes are from Mr. Locke.  The book is a story about a young Lady named Adelaide Lee Larson, Ade for short.  She was from a small town in Kentucky.  Ade’s father died in the Civil War and her mother died when she was a girl.  Ade lived with her mother’s family, her grandmother and her Aunt Lizzie.  One day while roaming her property, Ade sees a boy come out of the barn door.  He was of a different race and a different world.  They spent the afternoon together and when the boy went to return to his world beyond the barn door, he kissed Ade goodbye.  The planned to meet three days later.  However, Ade told a stranger at church about the boy and the door.  That person bought the land from Ade’s family.  When Ade found out she rushed to the barn, but it was in ruins.  She took some of the wood and built a door which she painted blue in the hopes of meeting him again. 

January begins to realize that the story is of her parents.  The mother she never knew and her father who she felt abandoned her.  The story takes a turn when Mr. Locke discovers that January knows about the doorways.  Eventually her house arrest dramatically changes to commitment to an asylum.  January is hunted by monsters including a vampire who can drain your blood.  January utilizes her special powers to fight back.  The monsters are members of the New England Archological Society whose mission is to close these doors forever.  They are conservative men who want to preserve the status quo.  If radical ideas flow out of the different worlds, our world could be turned upside down.  The song Cool, Cool Conservative Men from the musical 1776 came to my mind when reading about the Society.

Ultimately the story is one of self-discovery, January discovers who she is and where she came from.  She must battle many demons some in her own head and some in her life to win this battle.  I think the author has hit upon a winning idea if she continues—January could have adventures with Jane and Sam in other worlds.  I recommend reading the Ten Thousand Doors of January. 

Keep Reading My Friends!!!!