The Mannequin Makers

Starred review from October 2, 2017
New Zealander Cliff makes a stunning American debut with a story about obsession gone horribly wrong. At the beginning of the 20th century, wood carver Colton Kemp, who lives in the small town of Marumaru and carves mannequins for store windows, has just become the widower father of twins after his wife died during childbirth. Kemp is inspired by Eugen Sandow, the real-life German father of modern bodybuilding, to raise his children to become mannequins to thwart his rival, known as “the Carpenter.” Raised in isolation and trained in the Sandow method of diet, exercise, and muscle control, the twins, Avis and Eugen, learn to hold poses for hours, preparing for their store-window debut. The novel unfolds in four parts, covering a span of time from 1859 to 1974. First, readers see how Kemp is galvanized both by his wife’s death and the incredible feats of strength and control he observes in a Sandow performance. In the second part, Avis’s diary reveals the painstaking routine she and her brother endure, and the odd perspective about life and relationships developed in their sequestered environment. In the third, readers are regaled with incredible adventures at sea as the Carpenter, who has lost his voice, gives Avis a written account of how a young carver in Scotland ended up in a small New Zealand town. In the final part, Eugen, now in his 70s, fills in the blanks, revealing the cataclysmic events that followed their appearance in the store window. This is a spellbinding and original tale, rife with perilous journeys, fascinating historical detail, and memorable characters.

July 1, 2017
Competition between rival window dressers forms the foundation for this sprawling tragedy.Acclaimed New Zealand short story writer Cliff's harrowing debut novel (and first book to be published in the U.S.) opens outside Marumaru on Dec. 31, 1902. Window dresser Colton Kemp is carving a mannequin for use in his next display when his wife goes into labor. She gives birth to fraternal twins before dying of complications. A shellshocked Kemp leaves his sister-in-law to deal with the aftermath and walks to town. There, he catches a performance by strongman Eugen Sandow, whose perfect form and muscle control give Kemp an idea. Come December 1918, siblings Avis and Eugen have never left the family farm. According to their father, New Zealanders keep children sequestered until their 16th birthdays, at which point they're presented to society via "the window." Remaining perfectly still during a series of tableaux "is a test of fortitude, grace, dedication and mental strength" that allows people to assess their suitability as mates. When the curtain goes up at Donaldson's department store, Colton Kemp's lifelike new mannequins wow the public. Only Kemp's rival, Gabriel Doig, suspects the horrifying truth, and his reaction significantly impacts the lives of everyone involved. Cliff's short-fiction background looms large: each of the tale's four sections takes place in a different era, features a different point-of-view character, and unfolds in a unique manner. Despite this unconventional structure, the book's plot is tight, the senses of time and place are strong, and Cliff's core themes resonate throughout. A grim and glorious meditation on the cruelty of fate.

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