The Ten Thousand Doors of January

May 6, 2019
Harrow imbues her debut, set primarily in early-20th-century Vermont, as well as in an alternative world called the City of Nin, with genealogical mystery. The immensely wealthy William Cornelius Locke employs Julian Scaller as a plunderer of valuable artifacts, a job that prevents Julian from being a proper parent to his daughter, January. To fill the void left by January’s traveling father and her mother, whose absence is initially unexplained, Locke ensconces January in his mansion as his ward. January discovers that she has the power to write words that open doors leading to other worlds, including the City of Nin. Throughout the novel, Harrow quotes at excessive length from The Ten Thousand Doors, a book Julian owns, and January gradually discerns a connection between her own life and that of Adelaide Lee Larson, a character in Doors. Harrow weaves in commentary on race: Julian is black and January’s mother is white, and, in a clever inversion, in one of the worlds January visits, everyone is black and racism is nonexistent. Harrow’s novel will hold strong appeal to readers who enjoy portal fantasies featuring adventuresome women. Agent: Kate McKean, Morhaim Literary.

July 15, 2019
An independent young girl finds a blue door in a field and glimpses another world, nudging her onto a path of discovery, destiny, empowerment, and love. Set at the turn of the 20th century, Harrow's debut novel centers on January Scaller, who grows up under the watchful eye of the wealthy Cornelius Locke, who employs her father, Julian, to travel the globe in search of odd objects and valuable treasures to pad his collection, housed in a sprawling Vermont mansion. January appears to have a charmed childhood but is stifled by the high-society old boy's club of Mr. Locke and his friends, who treat her as a curiosity--a mixed-race girl with a precocious streak, forced into elaborate outfits and docile behavior for the annual society gatherings. When she's 17, her father seemingly disappears, and January finds a book that will change her life forever. With her motley crew of allies--Samuel, the grocer's son; Jane, the Kenyan woman sent by Julian to be January's companion; and Bad, her faithful dog--January embarks on an adventure that will lead her to discover secrets about Mr. Locke, the world and its hidden doorways, and her own family. Harrow employs the image of the door ("Sometimes I feel there are doors lurking in the creases of every sentence, with periods for knobs and verbs for hinges") as well as the metaphor (a "geometry of absence") to great effect. Similes and vivid imagery adorn nearly every page like glittering garlands. While some stereotypes are present, such as the depiction of East African women as pantherlike, the book has a diverse cast of characters and a strong woman lead. This portal fantasy doesn't shy away from racism, classism, and sexism, which helps it succeed as an interesting story. A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written word, and the power of many kinds of love.

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September 6, 2019

DEBUT When she was seven, January Scaller found a blue door in the middle of a Kentucky field. It seemed ordinary, until she wrote "she opened the door" in her diary. The world suddenly shifted, and she walked through the portal to another place. At first between worlds, she eventually arrived safely on the other side and was mesmerized by what she found there. She might have stayed had her wealthy benefactor, Cornelius Locke, not called her name. January's father, Julian, travels the world collecting oddities for Cornelius and his amateur archaeological society. But each has his own agenda--one to open doors, the other to close them. January will soon learn there are ten thousand doors to ten thousand worlds, and that she has the power to control them and command her own destiny. VERDICT Harrow's expressive debut depicts humankind's resistance to change, repression of the "other," and the desperation of the privileged when their prosperity is threatened. Fans of C.S. Lewis will be drawn to this magical coming-of-age tale and allegorical commentary on social justice.--K.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2019
Harrow dazzles with this historical fiction-fantasy hybrid about a young woman who discovers that the key to opening the door for change lies within ourselves. January Scaller is growing up at the turn of the 20th century as a ward of Mr. Locke, a wealthy collector of artifacts, while her father is in Mr. Locke's service, searching for the rarest items. Being of mixed heritage in a world not kind to those in-between, January feels like a tolerated addition to Mr. Locke's collection of unique objects. But one day, a strange book appears, one that smells of leather and adventure; of secrets and love. And when January falls through that leather-bound door, her life will never be the same. The Ten Thousand Doors of January is both whimsical and smart, using engaging writing and a unique plot to touch on serious topics. Harrow's debut reads like a love letter to the art of storytelling itself, and readers will be eager for more from her.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

July 17, 2020

In January Scaller's world, there are Doors that open to other worlds. You just need to know to look for them. Harrow's historical fantasy tackles familial loss and estrangement, as well as class and race relations in the early 20th century. The narrative follows January from childhood to adolescence. VERDICT Harrow's sprawling tale is an ode to the power of storytelling to heal wounds.-Elliot Riley, Deerfield Academy, MA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.