This page is a stub!
This article is a stub. You can help The Book Lovers Wiki by expanding it.
The Fifth Doll is a novel written by Charlie N. Holmberg. Released in 2017, it tells of Matrona discovering the secrets of the village she lives in.
Characters[]
- Matrona Vitsin
- Slava
rest to be added
Publisher's Summary[]
The bestselling author of The Paper Magician Series transports readers to a darkly whimsical world where strange magic threatens a quiet village that only a courageous woman can save.
Matrona lives in an isolated village, where her life is centered on pleasing her parents. She’s diligent in her chores and has agreed to marry a man of their choosing. But a visit to Slava, the local tradesman, threatens to upend her entire life.
Entering his empty house, Matrona discovers a strange collection of painted nesting dolls—one for every villager. Fascinated, she can’t resist the urge to open the doll with her father’s face. But when her father begins acting strangely, she realizes Slava’s dolls are much more than they seem.
When he learns what she’s done, Slava seizes the opportunity to give Matrona stewardship over the dolls—whether she wants it or not. Forced to open one of her own dolls every three days, she falls deeper into the grim power of Slava’s creations. But nothing can prepare her for the profound secret hiding inside the fifth doll.
Full Summary[]
Matrona Vitsin is a twenty-six-year-old woman who lives in a small village. Ever since her younger sister mysteriously vanished as a baby, Matrona has had to shoulder much of the responsibility in running the family dairy. Matrona's parents are overjoyed that Feodor, the local butcher, is willing to marry their daughter. Matrona, however, has feelings for Jaska, the village potter. She has never divulged this secret to anyone—not even her best friend, Roksana.
While out on an errand, Matrona ventures into the house of Slava, the local tradesman, who has a room full of Matryoshka dolls, each one painted to look just like a member of the village. When Slava discovers that Matrona has seen the dolls, he chooses her to be his successor as keeper of the dolls. She is tasked with opening the layers of her doll one by one. Upon opening the first doll, all of Matrona's secrets are divulged to the entire town, including her feelings for Jaska. The second doll offers an internal attack, conjuring up all of the negative thoughts Matrona's ever had about herself.
Realizing she can't move forward with Slava's plan for her, she tries to escape the village, only to discover it's trapped in a loop. Confused and frustrated, Matrona turns to Jaska; she tells him about the dolls, and he believes her. Opening Matrona's third doll brings her visions of a city and snow, which she's never seen before. Jaska asks her to open his first doll, and she does so, exposing his secrets—including his feelings for Matrona. Slava finds out what she's done, and tells Matrona of the dangers of opening all of the dolls at once. Matrona then goes to find her friend Roksana, who has discovered the dolls and opened hers all at once, resulting in her losing her mind. Matrona mourns for her friend. She manages to open Jaska's second doll without Slava noticing; she goes to comfort him as he undergoes the same mental torment she did, and the two share a kiss.
Opening her fourth doll and noticing that a fifth does not lie inside reveals to Matrona the truth of her situation: she and the other villagers are trapped in their town via magic. They were all taken away from their homes in Russia at Czar Nicholas II's request and transformed into fifth dolls. After learning this grand secret, all of the villagers (except for Roksana and Jaska's mother, whose dolls are fully opened) transform into wooden dolls. She manages to get Jaska back by gradually opening the rest of his doll. They realize that Slava's house is what holds the spell intact, so they destroy it.
The village they've known their entire lives melts away into the cold reality of Russia, and their families and friends are restored to them. Matrona is reunited with her long-lost sister, and she calls off her engagement with Feodor after all that's happened. The villagers are left to live life in reality.
(add more detail)
See Also[]
- The Republic of Birds by Jessica Miller