Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Midnight Blue
    Unavailable
    Midnight Blue
    Unavailable
    Midnight Blue
    Audiobook8 hours

    Midnight Blue

    Written by Simone van der Vlugt

    Narrated by Imogen Church

    3.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    Amsterdam 1654: a dangerous secret threatens to destroy a young widow’s new life.

    Following the sudden death of her husband, twenty-five year old Catrin leaves her small village and takes a job as housekeeper to the successful Van Nulandt merchant family. Amsterdam is a city at the peak of its powers: science and art are flourishing and Dutch ships bring back exotic riches from the Far East.

    When a figure from her past threatens her new life, Catrin flees to Delft. There, her painting talent earns her a chance as a pottery painter. Slowly, the workshop begins to develop a new type of pottery to rival the coveted Chinese porcelain – and Delft Blue is born. But when tragedy strikes, Catrin has a hard choice to make.

    Rich and engrossing, Midnight Blue is perfect for fans of Tulip Fever and Girl with a Pearl Earring.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMay 4, 2017
    ISBN9780008212131
    Unavailable
    Midnight Blue
    Author

    Simone van der Vlugt

    Simone van der Vlugt is an acclaimed Dutch writer. She was born in Hoorn and lives with her husband and two children in Alkmaar, The Netherlands. She has written a number of books for young readers. Her debut novel for adults, The Renunion, has sold over 200,000 copies and has been translated into English, French and German.

    Related to Midnight Blue

    Related audiobooks

    Historical Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Grief-stricken

      Oct 29, 2020

      Grief-stricken
      1 min read

    • Article

      HOW I WRITE Lucinda Riley

      Jun 17, 2019

      Irish-born Lucinda Riley is the bestselling author of over 20 novels. Her Seven Sisters series has topped the charts the world over, and has been optioned for a TV show. I have to write my first draft in total solitude. As we have four kids and our

      1 min read

    • Article

      Second CHANCES

      Aug 24, 2022

      Second CHANCES
      6 min read

    • Article

      Traders

      Sep 3, 2020

      Traders
      8 min read

    • Article

      Every CLOUD

      Aug 31, 2022

      Every CLOUD
      6 min read

    • Article

      Counter Waves

      Oct 23, 2020

      Counter Waves
      8 min read

    • Article

      Choosing the Flowers

      Oct 10, 2022

      Choosing the Flowers
      10 min read

    • Article

      Death On The Limpopo

      Sep 16, 2019

      Death On The Limpopo
      5 min read

    • Article

      Lies I Tell My Father

      Feb 10, 2024

      “How’s your job at the newspaper?” my father asks me. He is sitting on a couch, a plush throw blanket spread across his legs. “The newspaper’s fine,” I lie. I lie because it is simple. I lie because it is quick. I lie because it is easier than trying

      10 min read

    • Article

      Soul On Sale

      Aug 10, 2022

      I was waiting for the call at the telephone booth. I’d been waiting for fourteen or seventeen minutes and finally, I decided to leave. It was pointless. I only had a 20-dollar bill on me and no coins for the slot. Hard rain was coming, some type of s

      9 min read

    • Article

      Ram I am

      Sep 4, 2023

      My knee is bung. The receptionist at the medical centre asked about the nature of my injury. I said I had been knocked down by my pet ram lamb. She expressed no surprise. In the country, accident by animal is a daily occurrence. I, however, was incre

      2 min read

    • Article

      Hidden SECRETS

      Sep 15, 2021

      Hidden SECRETS
      9 min read

    • Article

      More Fool HER

      Feb 10, 2021

      More Fool HER
      8 min read

    • Article

      Far From The MADDING CROWD

      Aug 19, 2022

      Far From The MADDING CROWD
      10 min read

    • Article

      The Invisible WOMAN

      Dec 23, 2020

      The Invisible WOMAN
      6 min read

    • Article

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time

      Dec 1, 2023

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time
      9 min read

    • Article

      HEART Of The Community

      Aug 3, 2021

      HEART Of The Community
      12 min read

    • Article

      My Pitch

      Nov 27, 2023

      My Pitch
      2 min read

    • Article

      A PRECIOUS Moment In Time

      Jun 17, 2019

      There’s something about Lambrook Hall that always draws me back and I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been here. I don’t really care if it’s hundreds, to be honest. I can’t resist it. I’m in the dining room again now. Not the ballroom or the lib

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Ghost That Lives On

      May 28, 2018

      The Ghost That Lives On
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Lost Cause

      Dec 6, 2020

      A Lost Cause
      9 min read

    • Article

      A Class ACT

      Dec 29, 2020

      A Class ACT
      6 min read

    • Article

      Left FIELD

      Mar 30, 2022

      Left FIELD
      6 min read

    • Article

      Right date, RIGHT NOW

      Feb 15, 2023

      Right date, RIGHT NOW
      6 min read

    • Article

      J. Jezewska Stevens

      Dec 15, 2017

      The party was a failure. I can’t even tell you what a failure it was. There are no words. Only a great pain in my chest when I wake up. On the veranda. It’s better when I sit in the chair. Oh, but then I can see around. The gauzy curtains, pushed by

      15 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Midnight Blue

    3.5/5

    78 ratings15 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Catrin did not marry well but women in her time were expected to marry. When her husband dies she sells off what is left of their belongings and decides to go to a larger town to work as a housekeeper. She just needs to experience more of life than milking the cows and keeping a house. Her original plans don’t work out but she is lucky and another opportunity presents itself and she finds herself working for wealthy family. Best luck of all – the mistress spends all her day painting and painting is Catrin’s secret passion.But all is not to be easy and simple for Catrin for there are things from her past that she would rather forget and someone from her old town has blown in like an ill wind. She decides she must move on but fortunately her employer has a brother so he sends her to him to see if he needs help. He does have ulterior motives though, as he has seen Catrin’s painting ability and his brother has a pottery in Delft.Catrin settles in to working at the pottery and becomes a popular member of the town but dangers await from both external threats and those she considers friends. The events from her past are still simmering and could boil over and burn her.I enjoyed this book. But I will note that at many times I forgot I was reading an historical novel. Catrin seemed a woman more of modern times than of the 17th century. The characters were well developed and captivating but unlike other historical novels I’ve read the feeling of being grounded in time and place just wasn’t present in this book and it would almost startle me at times to come upon a reminder that I wasn’t reading a more contemporary book.Midnight Blue does include references to period events and individuals such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt and the explosion at the armory known to history as the Delft Thunderclap. Catrin’s interest in painting was not unheard of for a woman of her time but it was unusual.Overall it was a good read and I found the book to be full of twists and turns that surprised me. The ending was a little bit, oh I don’t know if flat or rushed is the better word but it left me just a touch unsatisfied. Maybe that’s the difference from one culture to the next but I just wanted a little more. Or maybe it was just me. Who knows. But it was a good read.
    • 1/5
      Loved it??? it was a look into a fascinating past.
    • 2/5
      2.5 trending toward three Pleasant enough story, but just a little too contrived/pat. Beautiful cover made it nice to have around, though! Sort of a girl power story set in 17th century Holland, which makes it a little hard to swallow and also makes the pluckiness of our heroine a little annoying. Catrin has always dreamed of big city (Amsterdam) living, though she is from a small rural village. Now that her husband has left her a young widow, this dream becomes a reality as she ventures forth seek employment as household help and maybe even realize her other dream of being a painter. The way she is subject to fate's twists and turns rings true, but they always seem to rosily turn in her favor. Her initial placement falls through, but she meets handsome Matthias in an inn and he happens to have a brother who needs an housekeeper, so you see. Catrin makes her way to the home of Adriaan Van Nulandt who hires her instantly. His wife Brigitta is leisurely privileged and is taking art lessons from one of Rembrandt's apprentices. Catrin has occasion to show her own talent, which is far superior, but she remains humble and hides it. In addition to aspirations, Catrin also has a shadow that has propelled her out of the countryside: the suspicious nature of her abusive husband's death. When Jacob the farmhand shows up in town, Catrin feels the need to move on and is passed on to another Van Nulandt brother, Evert who owns a pottery and paints china in Delft. There she meets Vermeer (see?!) and wins his praise and influence and is apprenticed at the pottery where she quickly rises to a master level and wins the heart of widow Evert. But handsome Matthias, a shipping merchant bounces around between brothers and world travels and charms Catrin when it suits him. Whom to choose? A historic tragedy of a munitions explosion helps Catrin decide, but then the plague intervenes and she is left alone again to rebuild the pottery and face her haunting nemesis, Jacob. Plucky Catrin soldiers on to the ending we all wanted: love and success and recognition for her talents. Some interesting historical and geographical info, but less substance than I hoped for. A good vacation read.
    • 3/5
      Simone van der Blugt’s 2018 historical novel is her first published in the United States. In 1654, the young widow Catrin leaves her small village to seek her fortune and leave behind the suspicions about her role in her husband’s death. In Amsterdam, she finds work as housekeeper to the wealthy Van Nulandt family. Madame Van Nulandt takes painting lessons from a local master, Rembrandt van Rijn, but Catrin, it turns out, is the real artist in the household. The secret of her husband’s death returns, however, and her struggle to make a successful life despite all shows plenty of pluck and talent. Fans of Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Coffee Trader, Tulip Mania (?) will enjoy the rich evocation of the times. .
    • 5/5
      Find a book about the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic and chances are I'm already there, reveling in the splendor of a world long faded. Similar to "The Miniaturist" in setting, "Midnight Blue" takes a look at the other half of the VOC, trading within the borders of its motherland what many now associate as being Dutch: Delft Blue porcelain. Set among the story of Catrin, a young widow hoping to leave her past behind in pursuit of work in Amsterdam, Simone van der Vlugt paints a vivid story while displaying the vibrant history of Dutch pottery. I know I'll come back to this book time and again.
    • 3/5
      Catrin is a talented woman in Amsterdam in an age where the Dutch realism and pottery are all the rage. The only problem is that she is a woman and that means that she has not apprenticed with anyone nor has she had a mentor or master teacher so she is unable to apply to the Guild and sell her pictures. She also happens to be on the run after her first husband passed suddenly. This is the remarkable tale of a woman whose artistic talent is recognized by Rembrandt and Vermeer, whose innovative pottery designs are in high demand but must still bend to the will of men. A talented American debut for Simone Van Der Vlugt.
    • 3/5
      The old adage is never judge a book by its cover, but wow, this is a beautiful cover. The text of the book is what matters to most readers, though, and this is a book a reader of historical fiction will enjoy. Other reviewers have given fine synopses, so I won't go through that again. I will say that this story of a woman's life in Holland's Golden Age should appeal to those who like stories of women who survive and thrive in spite of all the obstacles in their paths. I learned a lot about Delft pottery, Dutch art, and ordinary life in those times. The only reservation I have about the book is some anachronistic language (perhaps that's the translation? IDK). Otherwise, a quick and interesting read, perfect for a leisurely weekend. Thanks to the Early Reviewer program for the opportunity to read and review this book.
    • 4/5
      Catrin did not marry well but women in her time were expected to marry. When her husband dies she sells off what is left of their belongings and decides to go to a larger town to work as a housekeeper. She just needs to experience more of life than milking the cows and keeping a house. Her original plans don’t work out but she is lucky and another opportunity presents itself and she finds herself working for wealthy family. Best luck of all – the mistress spends all her day painting and painting is Catrin’s secret passion.But all is not to be easy and simple for Catrin for there are things from her past that she would rather forget and someone from her old town has blown in like an ill wind. She decides she must move on but fortunately her employer has a brother so he sends her to him to see if he needs help. He does have ulterior motives though, as he has seen Catrin’s painting ability and his brother has a pottery in Delft.Catrin settles in to working at the pottery and becomes a popular member of the town but dangers await from both external threats and those she considers friends. The events from her past are still simmering and could boil over and burn her.I enjoyed this book. But I will note that at many times I forgot I was reading an historical novel. Catrin seemed a woman more of modern times than of the 17th century. The characters were well developed and captivating but unlike other historical novels I’ve read the feeling of being grounded in time and place just wasn’t present in this book and it would almost startle me at times to come upon a reminder that I wasn’t reading a more contemporary book.Midnight Blue does include references to period events and individuals such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt and the explosion at the armory known to history as the Delft Thunderclap. Catrin’s interest in painting was not unheard of for a woman of her time but it was unusual.Overall it was a good read and I found the book to be full of twists and turns that surprised me. The ending was a little bit, oh I don’t know if flat or rushed is the better word but it left me just a touch unsatisfied. Maybe that’s the difference from one culture to the next but I just wanted a little more. Or maybe it was just me. Who knows. But it was a good read.
    • 3/5
      The high point of my artistic career is a self-portrait, drawn in marker, and forever captured on a melamine plate from pre-school more than four decades ago. I was so advanced for my age I even remembered to give myself eyelashes. If that’s not long-lasting genius and a genuine artistic legacy, I don’t know what is. It may not be the Mona Lisa but surely it’s up there with beautiful ceramics like Chinese porcelain and Delftware. OK, maybe not; my talent may not be one for the ages but we do know how it developed (or didn’t). We don’t actually know which potter came up with the idea for Delft Blue, just that it was a cheaper but incredibly popular alternative to Chinese porcelain and came to prominence in the 1650s. Simone van der Vlugt has written a fictional beginning for the rise of these blue and white decorative pieces, assigning the inspiration for the pottery to an artistic, young widow from a rural Dutch village in the novel, Midnight Blue.Catrin Barentsdochter endured much in her brief marriage: the premature birth and death of her baby and terrible abuse from her husband. She’s not sorry he’s dead only a year into their life together and after selling her inheritance from him, she leaves her family and the small village of De Rijp behind for a housekeeper position in a larger town nearby. When that falls through, she ends up going to Amsterdam and it is there that her artistic talent is accidentally discovered. The past she's fleeing catches up with her though and she runs even farther, ending up working at a pottery owned by the brother of her previous employer. Not only is Catrin a good painter, she is innovative and astute, suggesting to her kindly boss that they try to mimic the blue and white pieces of Chinese porcelain that are all the rage. And so Delft Blue is born. But Catrin’s past won’t stay away and her life and the revelation of her huge secret is threatened again.Van der Vlugt weaves pivotal and fascinating Delft history in with her story of this determined young woman, credibly placing Catrin near the gunpowder explosion and fire that destroyed much of Delft in 1654 and in the midst of the rampaging plague epidemic of 1655. The details of pottery making included here are not extensive but are incredibly interesting nonetheless. Catrin is a practical and generally strong character although occasionally her actions and language seem anachronistic for a woman in the 1650s. Whether that is a function of the author’s writing or of the translation is hard to tell. The secondary characters are fairly one dimensional and the ending is quite neat and convenient given the reality and fragility of life at the time. There is a romance that feels rather rushed and could have used elaboration but even as it stands, it does drive the story forward and figures into Catrin’s decisions several times. Fans of historical fiction will find this an easy, fast, and generally engaging read set at a time and a place not often found in English language works and they might even be inspired to learn a little more about the actual pottery and of Delft’s place in the Dutch Golden Age.
    • 3/5
      Finished Midnight Blue this evening! This one just came out this last week, and it was a pretty quick, easy read.Here's a quick rundown of the overall storyline (without spoilers). We're introduced to our main character, Catrin, who we meet at the funeral of her husband. There seems to be some gossip around the town as to the manner of his death, and Catrin, wanting to leave this atmosphere as well as strike off on her own as a free, independent woman, heads off in the direction of Amsterdam to start a new life, hopefully gaining employment as a housekeeper. Catrin loves painting, and her new mistress begins receiving lessons from one of Rembrandt's apprentices (the back of the book is misleading in that it leads the reader to think that Rembrandt has a larger role than he actually does - he only really appears on one-two pages). These lessons put Catrin on a journey which lands her in a position to paint pottery (the historical connection being the Delft Blue Pottery of The Netherlands). Along the way, she meets a handful of different men that forge friendships and romances, as well as one who seems to have some ulterior motives. Overall, I enjoyed it decently enough, though the storyline was fairly simple. I think this book had so much potential to be a really rich story with The Netherlands’ Delft Blue pottery at its heart. Unfortunately, the story took a path of its own and left me feeling as if I had just followed along a plot line via the interstate with its big billboards rather than the scenic route with all its hidden gems. The dialogue was really simplistic, especially in the first half or so of the book. To me, it read more like a Young Adult novel rather than literary historical fiction. The back of the book led the reader to believe that the art part would be such a huge portion of the story - that we'd get lost in the world of Dutch painters and the world of The Netherlands in the 1600s ... but instead we jumped from one event to another. The romances (which were quick to develop and felt out of place) seemed to ultimately take over the story to the point where, once I finished the book, was saddened that the Delft Blue didn't have a much stronger portion of the story. I wanted to get lost in detail, to have characters developed, and watch their relationships grow and change as the history around them took place, but I didn't really get any of that. I think this had such potential and I think the editors should've suggested that certain scenes and chapters be blown up bigger - more detail, more rich and atmospheric. It would've turned this book into a much larger tome, but it could've had more of a 'Pillars of the Earth' feel rather than what we got instead.BUT, that all being said, it made for a content summer read for this damp June evening! (And, at the very least, the cover is absolutely gorgeous!)
    • 3/5
      I've always loved the blue and white Chinese porcelain, so when I saw the cover of Midnight Blue, it immediately captured my attention. Set in 17th century Netherlands, the book tells the story of a young woman with a talent for painting that stumbles into the world of pottery making and how her talent sets her life on a new course.Catrin finds herself widowed and alone in Amsterdam with a big secret and the hope that no one will discover her secret. She is hired by a pottery maker who soon discovers her talent and the story really picks up after that. I did expect a bit more historic detail about the blue delft pottery, but in spite of that, I really enjoyed the story. I recommend this book to readers who love historical fiction, the Netherlands, and the blue and white porcelain.
    • 3/5
      Fleeing harsh gossip and seeking adventure, Catrin, the young widow of an abusive husband, leaves her small Dutch village in the mid 1600’s. She ends up in the bustling city of Amsterdam working as a housekeeper to a wealthy merchant. A series of lucky breaks and misfortunes lead her to develop and make use of her artistic talent in the burgeoning field of Dutch blue and white pottery. A light, engaging, and escapist read, Midnight Blue weaves enough actual events and famous figures into the story to mandate a few Wikipedia searches while reading. The story itself is gripping (I could see it as a movie) but lacking in plausibility. I would recommend this to fans of Chick Lit Historical Fiction. Similar books I have read and enjoyed include those by Susan Vreeland and Tracy Chevalier, The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Siegal, and Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach.
    • 4/5
      Good story. However I felt the language used was much to modern for the time period and really kind of bothered me. It should have been much more formal. I'm wondering if this is just because of the translation from Dutch. Still a good yarn, a likely spunky heroine who whether she means to or not does create problems for herself by making bad choices. Interesting bits about Delft Pottery (Dutch Porcelain) as well.She does overcome in the end and comes out a winner of sorts. Recommended, a nice summer read.
    • 4/5
      I received a proof of this novel from the Early Reviewers program.I enjoyed the story. To some extent, this is historical fiction and it was interesting to learn a bit about 17th century Netherlands. The events are real; most of the characters imagined. The only character that didn't seem realistic to me was Catrin, the heroine of the book, who acts in ways that simply aren't consistent with the times. The other characters seemed much more believable.The language is adequate, but there are some odd phrases. I don't know if this is the author's fault or the translator's. I'd classify it as a good beach read.
    • 5/5
      First i fell in love with the cover, you will too if you are a fan of ...blue! THEN you open and being to read .... the pages fall away as you become immersed in the story-line of Catrin. A widow in hiding, who struggles to make her way in Amsterdam and is extraordinarily talented. Another one for my treasure shelf!