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The Miniaturist's Assistant
2004: In historic Charleston, recently divorced art conservator Gamble Vance throws herself into her career restoring centuries-old miniature portraits. But one portrait haunts a woman in a fox stole, with familiar hazel eyes. When Gamble meets a girl in an alley, she' s convinced it' s the same woman— and it' s not the first time they' ve met.
For help, Gamble turns to African American Studies scholar Tolliver Jackson— a former foster kid with secrets of his own. But as Gamble' s memories resurface, the pair discover a connection which may endanger more than one life... in more than one lifetime.
1804: Miniature portraitist and fallen-away Quaker Daniel Petigru paints for Charleston' s high society. Daniel and his sister live with a free Black family, their connection long and complicated. When Gamble arrives from the future and her presence puts them all at risk, Daniel must decide if he loves her enough to let her go.
THE MINIATURIST' S ASSISTANT explores the mystery of time, how our choices ripple throughout history, and what it means to be a fully-realized woman— in any century.
"What a lush, bold novel ... a story that is as suspenseful as it is wildly romantic. An astounding journey through the Charleston of the present and the very long past which transcends genre and takes the reader places entirely new." ~ Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean
For help, Gamble turns to African American Studies scholar Tolliver Jackson— a former foster kid with secrets of his own. But as Gamble' s memories resurface, the pair discover a connection which may endanger more than one life... in more than one lifetime.
1804: Miniature portraitist and fallen-away Quaker Daniel Petigru paints for Charleston' s high society. Daniel and his sister live with a free Black family, their connection long and complicated. When Gamble arrives from the future and her presence puts them all at risk, Daniel must decide if he loves her enough to let her go.
THE MINIATURIST' S ASSISTANT explores the mystery of time, how our choices ripple throughout history, and what it means to be a fully-realized woman— in any century.
"What a lush, bold novel ... a story that is as suspenseful as it is wildly romantic. An astounding journey through the Charleston of the present and the very long past which transcends genre and takes the reader places entirely new." ~ Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean
377 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2025
23 people are currently reading
478 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Scott Crawford
3 books58 followersKatherine Scott Crawford is the award-winning author of Keowee Valley and The Miniaturist's Assistant (releasing May 13, 2025 from Regal House Publishing). A recovering academic and former adjunct professor, she serves as a guest lecturer and workshop leader at conferences, writers' retreats, literary festivals, and more. As a newspaper columnist, her popular column appeared weekly across the United States and abroad, in USA Today, the Detroit Free Press, and many others. She holds an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is founder and director of MountainTop Writers Retreats. A former backpacking guide with a vagabond soul, Katherine lives in the mountains of North Carolina with her husband, two untamed daughters, and their trail dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 10, 2026
3☆
This was an interesting read! It was super engaging, the plot was intriguing, and I really enjoyed the writing style.
I thought it was super fun to have a time travel plot, and see how the past, present, and future are all interconnected. We also see the history of social change and rights!
I also enjoyed the relationship between Gamble and Tolliver.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was an interesting read! It was super engaging, the plot was intriguing, and I really enjoyed the writing style.
I thought it was super fun to have a time travel plot, and see how the past, present, and future are all interconnected. We also see the history of social change and rights!
I also enjoyed the relationship between Gamble and Tolliver.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
January 22, 2025
Crawford tells an engaging story of time travel, mystery, art, love, and the human rights struggle. As the South continues to reckon with its past, we need more stories like this.
December 21, 2024
Loved this book so much! The author’s writing style was perfect! She talks directly to the reader. A look at Charleston SC in modern times and in 1800 due to time travel. We see lots of changes and then again not much change as our protagonist must find her own way in life as she tries to figure out why she’s drawn back in time. A look at life and love.
May 12, 2025
I can't say enough good things about this book! I am a sucker for a book set in the South and in The Miniaturist's Assistant, Charleston, South Carolina is more than just a setting--it a character. There is so much to love here, from miniatures (fascinating!) to ghosts. This is a historical mystery with a voice so strong and a world so lush that I didn't want it to end.
March 26, 2025
Wow! This is the first book I have read by Katherine Scott Crawford and THE MINIATURIST’S ASSISTANT was captivating!!
Gamble Vance is a conservator restoring all miniature portraits. One image stays with her, she believes it is of a girl she meets in an alley and it’s not the first time she thinks they have met. Gamble quickly finds herself stuck between Charleston 2004 and Charleston 1805. As her past catches up to her present, decisions most be made to not cause an everlasting ripple in their lives.
The writing in this book is gorgeous. The author uses such wonderful passages to transport you into the pages - seeing, hearing and feeling what the characters are experiencing. We are transported to two different versions of Charleston, both of which was filled with love, magic and hidden stories!
A few favorites lines:
“None of us is perfect. Some of us fit so well together, because of our imperfections and quirks make up for the other person’s”.
“Maybe remembering is like being in a state between dreaming and waking … maybe it’s just as ambiguous”.
Gamble Vance is a conservator restoring all miniature portraits. One image stays with her, she believes it is of a girl she meets in an alley and it’s not the first time she thinks they have met. Gamble quickly finds herself stuck between Charleston 2004 and Charleston 1805. As her past catches up to her present, decisions most be made to not cause an everlasting ripple in their lives.
The writing in this book is gorgeous. The author uses such wonderful passages to transport you into the pages - seeing, hearing and feeling what the characters are experiencing. We are transported to two different versions of Charleston, both of which was filled with love, magic and hidden stories!
A few favorites lines:
“None of us is perfect. Some of us fit so well together, because of our imperfections and quirks make up for the other person’s”.
“Maybe remembering is like being in a state between dreaming and waking … maybe it’s just as ambiguous”.
April 6, 2025
I loved learning more about Charleston, and about the very unique art of painting miniature portraits, and I definitely got an appreciation for museum conservators’ restoration skills.
Gamble Vance is a fascinating main character. Her passion for her work, her curiosity, and her sense of loyalty made her a character easy to root for. I also enjoyed the magical aspect of time travel and the purpose it served connecting the Charleston of the 1800s to our recent past.
Gamble Vance is a fascinating main character. Her passion for her work, her curiosity, and her sense of loyalty made her a character easy to root for. I also enjoyed the magical aspect of time travel and the purpose it served connecting the Charleston of the 1800s to our recent past.
January 4, 2025
I was deeply transported by this book, and I’m truly sad that it had to come to an end. I loved every aspect of it—the time travel, the love story (no, I should make that plural - STORIES!), the art, the compelling narratives, and especially the way the Author thoughtfully represented and conveyed the emotions surrounding slavery. It was an unforgettable experience. This was my first book by this Author.
January 27, 2025
I wish I could start this book again. Gamble’s voice sticks around, breathes life into the mundane, and took me on an adventure I won’t soon forget. I loved the relationship between her and Tolliver. Charleston is a special place…anyone that’s visited knows this. But this book made me see Charleston in a different light. I typically stay away from time-traveling, but it didn’t bother me this time. It just sucked me right in and kept me on the edge of my seat.
January 3, 2026
Intriguing, artistic story-telling. Once the adventure through time started, I could not put it down. It was mesmerizing and magically real. I loved it.
October 19, 2025
Review coming soon
June 28, 2025
“Time is flimsy,” we learn in the fabulous, mysterious, time traveling adventure The Miniaturist’s Assistant. Katherine Scott Crawford expertly unravels her multi-layered story and swirls us through time traveler Gamble Vance’s effect on past, present, and future all at once for everyone she encounters, shifting back and forth from her Charleston of 2004 to the 200-year-old version of the historic, haunted city. I want to walk along Stoll’s Alley now and find that magical segue to another time, and I’m adding this to my list of favorite time travel novels! Glittered with love and longing and art while artfully portraying the unspeakable harm of slavery, The Miniaturist’s Assistant should live among the classics of this fascinating genre.
April 14, 2025
I love the premise of this book, but I felt the writing was disjointed at times throughout. I did not enjoy the over explanation of every detail. If the book was edited down and if the writing was more “show” and less “tell,” I may have enjoyed it more. It didn’t evoke much emotion from me, but the plot was at least only mildly predictable as opposed to completely predictable like most of today’s novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2025
Intriguing and gripping story about miniature portraits and time travel to unravel how history connects with the present. Wonderfully written story about a divorced art conservator, Gamble, who, when seeing one portrait, is drawn into finding out more. A mysterious alley in Charleston leads Gmble to learn more about herself, the portraits, her present day, and a man who works with her, who has been more to her than she realizes. An excellent novel that alternates between Charleston in 1804 and 2005.
June 3, 2025
Loved it! One of the best books I’ve read.
May 12, 2025
I should have loved this book. I love history. I am a Charlestonian. I am a professor of art. Magical realism gives me life! But I found the characters here to be very stereotypical and one dimensional, the dialogue awkward and unrealistic, and the plot weak. I couldn’t ever get invested Gamble, the main character, because she didn’t even have enough substance to be likable or unlikable. Her actions were all over the place and never made sense to me. She did whatever would best move the plot along. The big reveals throughout the end fell flat and didn’t feel authentic. Unfortunately, this felt like a first draft to me, and I kept thinking it could have easily been 100 pages shorter. I appreciate all the research that went into this book, but was the epitome of telling instead of showing. So much long-winded telling. I wanted to love it so much, and I have giving bad reviews because I admire everyone who finishes a novel, but I really struggled to finish this book. I give it 2 stars for the research, but I wouldn’t recommend it to any of my friends.
May 8, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. Gamble's voice is like having a conversation with your best friend, you know that one that no matter how long it's been since you last talked it's like no time has actually passed. Katherine's writing is lyrical and lush. Her love for history and Charleston shine through every word. I don't even know how to categorize this book-- historical fiction, literary fiction, magical realism, romance? It blends them all seamlessly.
May 14, 2025
Part art lesson, part romance, part history, part mystery, this novel is a thrilling testament to the myriad ways we are connected to one another and to the past.
January 10, 2026
The Miniaturist’s Assistant is a richly imagined, genre defying novel that weaves historical fiction, romance, and speculative mystery into a deeply human meditation on time, memory, and womanhood. Katherine Scott Crawford brings Charleston both past and present to vivid life, grounding the novel’s time-bending premise in emotional authenticity and meticulous historical detail.
In the 2004 timeline, Gamble Vance is a compelling modern protagonist: an art conservator whose devotion to restoring miniature portraits mirrors her struggle to piece together her own fragmented memories. The recurring image of the fox-stole woman is both eerie and intimate, setting the novel’s mystery in motion with quiet psychological tension rather than spectacle. Crawford excels at making the uncanny feel personal, rooted in recognition rather than shock.
The 1804 narrative is equally absorbing. Daniel Petigru, a Quaker portraitist navigating Charleston’s rigid hierarchies, is portrayed with nuance and moral complexity. His relationships with his sister, with a free Black family, and eventually with Gamble allow the novel to interrogate love, complicity, and responsibility across social and temporal boundaries. Crawford’s depiction of interracial community and precarious freedom in the early South is handled with care and gravity, enriching the story’s ethical depth.
What sets The Miniaturist’s Assistant apart is its thematic ambition. The novel explores how choices reverberate across generations, how women’s lives are constrained or liberated by their historical moment, and how art serves as both witness and bridge across time. Romance here is not escapist; it is charged with consequence, sacrifice, and the ache of impossible timing.
Lush without being indulgent and suspenseful without sacrificing introspection, The Miniaturist’s Assistant transcends easy categorization. It will appeal to readers of historical fiction, time-slip narratives, and literary romance alike particularly those drawn to stories that honor both emotional intensity and intellectual curiosity. Katherine Scott Crawford has crafted a novel that lingers, inviting readers to reflect on what it means to be fully realized, in any century.
In the 2004 timeline, Gamble Vance is a compelling modern protagonist: an art conservator whose devotion to restoring miniature portraits mirrors her struggle to piece together her own fragmented memories. The recurring image of the fox-stole woman is both eerie and intimate, setting the novel’s mystery in motion with quiet psychological tension rather than spectacle. Crawford excels at making the uncanny feel personal, rooted in recognition rather than shock.
The 1804 narrative is equally absorbing. Daniel Petigru, a Quaker portraitist navigating Charleston’s rigid hierarchies, is portrayed with nuance and moral complexity. His relationships with his sister, with a free Black family, and eventually with Gamble allow the novel to interrogate love, complicity, and responsibility across social and temporal boundaries. Crawford’s depiction of interracial community and precarious freedom in the early South is handled with care and gravity, enriching the story’s ethical depth.
What sets The Miniaturist’s Assistant apart is its thematic ambition. The novel explores how choices reverberate across generations, how women’s lives are constrained or liberated by their historical moment, and how art serves as both witness and bridge across time. Romance here is not escapist; it is charged with consequence, sacrifice, and the ache of impossible timing.
Lush without being indulgent and suspenseful without sacrificing introspection, The Miniaturist’s Assistant transcends easy categorization. It will appeal to readers of historical fiction, time-slip narratives, and literary romance alike particularly those drawn to stories that honor both emotional intensity and intellectual curiosity. Katherine Scott Crawford has crafted a novel that lingers, inviting readers to reflect on what it means to be fully realized, in any century.
May 13, 2025
In Charleston, South Carolina, in 2004, Gamble Vance is an expert at restoring miniature portraits. But there is one that she can’t forget—a woman with hazel eyes. Why does she look familiar? Then Gamble sees a young woman in Stoll’s Alley in old-fashioned dress. She appears to be a ghost, or a memory, and looks very much like the woman in the portrait. The woman even speaks to her. Gamble is impatient to share this with her best friend Tolliver. Tol is of the Geechee people, who believe in ghosts, and he will not think she is crazy.
In 1805, Daniel Petigru paints miniature portraits for Charleston’s wealthy. He is missing Gamble, who has left him and gone back to her time. She appeared in October 1804, brought home by his sister Honor, who announced she’s been seeing this woman in Stoll’s Alley since she was 12 years old. But the connections are deeper than all of them know, and Gamble is destined to come back.
This is a story with deep meaning and a message that some souls are meant to meet, regardless of where and when they happen to be. They must meet sometimes as part of their own fates—their own lives or deaths, and sometimes it is for reasons they cannot begin to understand. There do not seem to be fast rules of time travel in this novel. The rules are fluid and subject to change. The method of time travel appears to be a place, but also possibly a person. As the lives of those affected flow into each other, so do the rules and methods of time travel. The relationships—friends, lovers, siblings, parents, and children—are all well written and profoundly felt. This is an emotional and impactful novel. Highly recommended.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no half-star option.
I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Go to my blog to see a Q&A with the author: https://bonniereadsandwrites.com/2025...
In 1805, Daniel Petigru paints miniature portraits for Charleston’s wealthy. He is missing Gamble, who has left him and gone back to her time. She appeared in October 1804, brought home by his sister Honor, who announced she’s been seeing this woman in Stoll’s Alley since she was 12 years old. But the connections are deeper than all of them know, and Gamble is destined to come back.
This is a story with deep meaning and a message that some souls are meant to meet, regardless of where and when they happen to be. They must meet sometimes as part of their own fates—their own lives or deaths, and sometimes it is for reasons they cannot begin to understand. There do not seem to be fast rules of time travel in this novel. The rules are fluid and subject to change. The method of time travel appears to be a place, but also possibly a person. As the lives of those affected flow into each other, so do the rules and methods of time travel. The relationships—friends, lovers, siblings, parents, and children—are all well written and profoundly felt. This is an emotional and impactful novel. Highly recommended.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no half-star option.
I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Go to my blog to see a Q&A with the author: https://bonniereadsandwrites.com/2025...
July 11, 2025
Reading The Miniaturist's Assistant is like taking a mini vacation. It truly was an escape into a world of mystery and intrigue. Throw in a little time travel, romance and a dual time line and author Katherine Scott Crawford has crafted an incredible journey for any reader who is game to open the cover of her beautifully written book.
I always love to support local authors and when I heard that one of our own Brevardians had written another book I was all in and rushed to buy my own copy as soon as I could. I loved everything about this book from the beautiful cover to the unique voice that the author has. I am not a lover of either time travel novels or dual timelines but I was hooked once I started reading. The chapters flowed seamlessly, the characters were vivid (Oh Toliver ---how I wish you were real), and the writing was flawless.
Historical novels are a genre I love to read and it was so evident that author Katherine Scott Crawford did her research. I knew nothing about "miniatures" and the artists that crafted them and after reading this book I am ready to hop in the car and go visit the Gibbs Museum in Charleston to see their collection. Crawford 's writing is so engaging and so thorough that I felt that I actually knew what a conservator does by the end of the book --something that I know she spent hours upon hours learning about herself in order to complete this novel.
So what about the time travel and the dual timelines? It worked! So well. And perhaps some of the unexplained things that happen in the book are just that --things that can not be explained and don't need to be. An air of mystery perhaps?
Charleston is the focus of many novels but this one took me down those alleys that I have walked and reminded me of a city that is full of history --both good and bad ---and the author did not shy away from writing about some of the darker parts of the city.
Kudos to Katherine Scott Crawford for a truly wonderful book that held my interest from page to page and will stay with me for a long time. A wonderful book that is sure to charm others as it charmed me.
I always love to support local authors and when I heard that one of our own Brevardians had written another book I was all in and rushed to buy my own copy as soon as I could. I loved everything about this book from the beautiful cover to the unique voice that the author has. I am not a lover of either time travel novels or dual timelines but I was hooked once I started reading. The chapters flowed seamlessly, the characters were vivid (Oh Toliver ---how I wish you were real), and the writing was flawless.
Historical novels are a genre I love to read and it was so evident that author Katherine Scott Crawford did her research. I knew nothing about "miniatures" and the artists that crafted them and after reading this book I am ready to hop in the car and go visit the Gibbs Museum in Charleston to see their collection. Crawford 's writing is so engaging and so thorough that I felt that I actually knew what a conservator does by the end of the book --something that I know she spent hours upon hours learning about herself in order to complete this novel.
So what about the time travel and the dual timelines? It worked! So well. And perhaps some of the unexplained things that happen in the book are just that --things that can not be explained and don't need to be. An air of mystery perhaps?
Charleston is the focus of many novels but this one took me down those alleys that I have walked and reminded me of a city that is full of history --both good and bad ---and the author did not shy away from writing about some of the darker parts of the city.
Kudos to Katherine Scott Crawford for a truly wonderful book that held my interest from page to page and will stay with me for a long time. A wonderful book that is sure to charm others as it charmed me.
May 1, 2025
“Katherine Scott Crawford is a daughter of the Carolinas and she writes as such, tackling this ambitious historical fiction with an unflinching eye. Scott doesn’t shy away from the tangled and troubled history of the region or her heroine, a contemporary feminist who is unapologetically lusty and smart and fully prepared to challenge mores in her own time, as well as those of the past she visits. The careening romance and sobering realities in this novel will leave readers with much to contemplate and a surprisingly poignant dose of optimism for humanity, and ultimately, the enduring legacy of love.”
June 30, 2025
This started slow for me, but about a quarter way in, it got more interesting. And it really picked up as it went along. Great historical details make me want to walk those old streets in Charleston. Love the history and the genealogy-family links in the story are really amazing and heartwarming. A great love story set across time, with some sad moments and surprises. The family details later in the story tie the lives and love of main character's Tolliver and Gamble together even more. Even better is that the items and portrait painter in the story are inspired by a real-life person, museum, and artifacts. Love the history in the story!
December 8, 2025
Katherine Scott Crawford’s The Miniaturist’s Assistant is a mesmerizing novel that not only delivers a compelling story of time travel, romance, and mystery, but also vividly captures Charleston in a way that made me feel like I was walking its streets again. As someone who has lived there, I was struck by how seamlessly Crawford wove the city’s landmarks and atmosphere into the narrative—bringing both its beauty and its darker history to life. With richly drawn characters, elegant prose, and dual timelines that flow effortlessly, this book was an entertaining and immersive read that lingered with me long after I turned the final page.
January 22, 2025
Rich with historical details, this fabulously fun and transportive novel explores the great mystery of time, asking whether it’s possible to live more than one audacious life. I fell in love with the characters—and with Crawford’s delicious sense of adventure and assured storytelling. Highly recommended for fans of Susanna Kearsley and Diana Gabaldon, THE MINIATURIST’S ASSISTANT is a delight from start to finish.-Heather Bell Adams, author of Maranatha Road and The Good Luck Stone
May 13, 2025
The Miniaturist’s Assistant is a gorgeously written blend of history and magic. With a richly layered dual timeline, Katherine Scott Crawford brings both past and present Charleston to life in vivid, immersive detail. At its heart is a gutsy, full-of-life heroine who travels through time to save an enduring love—anchoring the story with warmth, strength, and urgency. Add in breathtaking magical elements, and this novel becomes a captivating, unforgettable journey you won’t want to end.
September 20, 2025
This book captured me from page one!! The details, the characters who seemed so real, the time travel, the love, the way Charleston came alive, and the humor and fun inside the pages! This book is a masterpiece and I will definitely read it again. I now, more than ever, want to go to Charleston & walk down Stoll’s Alley. Find the places mentioned and explore Gibbes Museum of Art’s Miniature Collection. I will never forget Gamble, Toliver & Daniel. Highly recommend this 10-star read!!!
September 25, 2025
I loved this book! I can’t categorize it as it had a bit of everything: historical fiction, time travel, romance, art history. It definitely wasn’t a “formula book” that was predictable. There were posts of twists and turns. I didn’t want to put it down.
The author weaves in truth about a time in our history that we don’t like to think about, but handles it with grace and delicacy by weaving it into the story.
A definite re-read. I can’t wait to listen to it on audio as well!
The author weaves in truth about a time in our history that we don’t like to think about, but handles it with grace and delicacy by weaving it into the story.
A definite re-read. I can’t wait to listen to it on audio as well!
March 18, 2025
Goodness, I ADORED this book! Charleston is a favorite place to visit … to be transported there in the 1800’s with a story like this was just magical. The Miniaturist’s Assistant transcends the genre of historical fiction and is so much more. You will fall in love with Tol… A perfect read if you love Diana Gabaldon or Deborah Harkness!
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May 9, 2025Atmospheric and strong sense of place. Love the time traveling and learning about the different eras of my favorite city in the world - Charleston, SC!
July 24, 2025
The Miniaturist’s Assistant is a magical exploration of the power of choices and second chances. Charleston sparkles in this tale of love unbound by time and circumstance. A spellbinding story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews