The Miniaturist's Assistant

by Katherine Scott Crawford

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

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Magical Realism, Fiction

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2025

About the author

Katherine Scott Crawford is the award-winning author of Keowee Valley and The Miniaturist's Assistant, which was awarded a 2026 North Carolina Book Award. 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.

Reviews

[⋄⋆ taylor ⋆⋄]

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!

[Emily Carpenter]

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.

[Linda Burrell]

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.

[Stine]

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.

[Penny Zang]

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.

[Aileen]

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”.

[Sandra M.]

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.

[Bubba Wilson]

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.

[Callie]

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.

[Monica Schultz]

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.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50)]

Review coming soon

[Chris Johnson]

“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.

[Jen Jones]

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.

[Gigi]

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.

[Norma]

Loved it! One of the best books I’ve read.

[Katrina]

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.

[Jennifer McGaha]

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.

[Bonnie DeMoss]

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...

[J.S.]

There was much to pique my curiosity in this book: having walked the streets of that historic peninsula,I did enjoy the clear connection to a Charleston setting. And I also found the description of the miniatures interesting, to the point I would like to study the small portraits I have of a few of my ancestors, looking for technique and style.

But I struggled with either understanding what was going on, or with inconsistencies within the story.

(For example, I thought Gamble first time traveled after her miscarriage and discovery of her husbands infidelities, but that doesn’t line up with her telling Daniel she needed to leave because she was in love with Tol. I really thought she didn’t realize that she loved her best friend until she started studying the miniatures and was long divorced. And there was a time early on when I thought they were trying to figure out who Honor was, but then suddenly Gamble looked at an unlabeled portrait and said her name, only to try to find it again later. Plus she changed into her jammies while waiting for Tol,but then was still wearing her bra when she went upstairs to go to bed?)

There were a few instances of continuity errors that just bugged me enough to make it hard for me to really fall completely under this book’s spell.

One last comment: I look forward to the day when white writers can creatively envision a future for a Black character involved with white people. I am so disappointed when white writers have characters of color killed off for a convenient/tragic plot line to provide a grieving but unencumbered white partner. This isn’t the only novel where I wanted to see how a white writer could envision an interracial couple surviving in the world of racism.

As another reviewer pointed out, it is impressive for an author to create such a well-situated story, I just wish there had been a few more rounds of edits for clarity.

[Beth Ann]

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.

[Caroline]

This was a preposterous and ridiculous story. The characters were over the top. There was the perfect man, the most handsome man ever, with no flaws whatsoever. There was the irresistible woman who had not one, not two, but three men madly in love with her. What was it about Gamble? It approached romance novel levels but didn't quite reach it (a good thing). The time travel time line was so confusing but it didn't matter, because it didn't make sense anyway. What I did enjoy VERY much, however, was the setting of Charleston and learning about the miniature portraits. That was fascinating. I immediately went to the web site for the Gibbes Museum in Charleston so I could study them. I loved her descriptions of Charleston and I think she captured the atmosphere and feeling of that city very well - both in 1804 and 2004. I enjoyed her writing style, just had a bit of trouble with the plot and the characterization of the main characters.

[Babs Collins]

This novel brings together art, history, and mystery, with a bit of time travel to weave past and present into a seamless story of romance, adventure, and the unsettling truth about what it was like to be Black in 1804, whether enslaved, free, or somewhere painfully in between.
Gamble Vance is a divorced art conservator in 2004 Charleston. Gamble’s longtime friend, Tolliver Jackson is handsome, charming, and the perfect partner when it comes to investigating the mystery that surrounds her obsession with a particular miniature portrait. While walking alone through the historic French Quarter one evening Gamble is beckoned down Stoll’s Alley by a shadowy figure, quietly tipping the novel from intriguing to unexplainable. And that’s when Gamble’s life gets really interesting!
An irresistibly readable novel!

[Kimberly Brock]

“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.”

[Christine Verstraete]

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!

[Merrill C]

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.

[Marcia]

I really thought this story compelling and had to read through to the end to find the resolution. I live in a suburb of Charleston, SC and understand the author’s love of the city’s dramatic history and its many ghost stories and tours make it the perfect setting for a time-travel historical novel. Katherine Scott Crawford has envisioned a charming, vexing and interesting character in Vance Gamble and Tol is a perfect partner, and her ex Harry, has some redeeming qualities as well.
My only reservation is the rather detailed and, in my opinion, overdone details of their clothing (especially Toliver’s) to the point I had to skip ahead, as I really didn’t think his cashmere sweater, well fitting slacks and fabulous footwear moved the story ahead.

[DeValerie]

The book was ok…it took so many words/chapters for the true purpose of the book to be revealed. I appreciate the author making the point that ultimately we are all connected. It was obvious that the author performed the necessary research. However, I struggled with Gamble, she was a mess and although she deplored slavery and the subjugation of a people, she continued to put them at risk by touching and talking with them openly (in public). For a historian she showed very little respect for the times. In the end, all ended well.

[Joanne]

I enjoyed the story, learning about the miniaturist portrait style. I liked Ms. Crawford's earlier book too. I was not prepared for the emphasis on time travel and found that literary vehicle just too implausible, though it was a clever approach to telling two different timelines. I love historical fiction and I love Charleston. Though a lot of the story explores the issue of racial bias past and present, this novel does a nice job of being honest, yet accepting of Charleston's history. Her characters come to life on the pages, and I loved every one of them.

[Heather]

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

[Gina Heron]

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.