Publication Date: October 1, 2024
When famous new media artist Eli Schmidt inherits a mysterious chest from his emotionally detached grandmother that he is instructed not to open, he can’t curb his curiosity. Inside, he finds a lost and lonely doll named Devorah, who begins to heartbreakingly scream for the love of her life, Yonah. Wishing he had obeyed orders, Eli has no choice but to go on a journey to reunite the pair. To his great distress, this means he must give up his treasured peace and quiet and do what he loathes the most: interact with other people. While Eli desperately tries to break free from this burden, Devorah amplifies her control, embroiling him in a battle that will forever change the course of his life.
The very idea of a doll coming to life and screaming about her lost love isn’t exactly a common storyline.
However, the novelty is only one of the reasons that Suze Leonie’s book, Yonah and Devorah’s Traveling Music Theater, is worth trying out.
Another reason is the rather mentally unstable main character, Eli, a new media artist. Poor Eli is off his meds and simply can’t handle much human interaction. When he inherits a chest from his grandmother with instructions never to open it, he does exactly what most people would.
What ensues is a shock to Eli’s delicate constitution, but his poor choices result in forced interactions with other people. Even with an asthma inhaler in hand, Eli proves no match for a doll determined to be reunited with her one true love.
Told from Eli’s perspective, the story highlights his struggle, complete with manic episodes. He fits into the morally gray character range because not all of his actions are noble. In fact, some are downright selfish.
Yonah and Devorah’s Traveling Music Theater offers a quirky tale with themes of dark humor.
Suze Leonie is a literary fiction and children’s fiction author, photographer and illustrator from a Dutch coastal town. She has a passion for literature and philosophy and when she isn’t writing or drawing, she’s usually found with a book in her hand. She’s known for her insatiable interest in a variety of subjects.
In the spring of 2024 Suze Leonie made her debut with the novel Ivan, Boris and Me, which is the first book in a collection of literary works that heavily focus on human psychology. In the winter of 2024 she will make her second debut of the year with her first chapter book centered around Albert, a stuffed bear that gets a little bit broken.
When Suze Leonie is able to let go of her precious books she enjoys going to museums, good food, board games and long walks on the beach.
