A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home

Celeste decides that the safest course of action is to stay in the attic until Joseph returns from his trip to New Orleans, and she builds a cozy nest in an old feather mattress. One day, she decides to explore the rest of the attic. During her search, she discovers a dollhouse. The mouse is astonished at the beautifully decorated and furnished rooms, which seem the perfect size for her. The dollhouse’s contents are dusty and disorderly, but this doesn’t diminish her enthusiasm. One of the rooms contains a four-poster bed, a lace-covered end table, an armoire, an overstuffed chair, and flowery wallpaper that makes her feel as if she has stepped into “a magical garden” (282). Blissfully, she curls up in the soft bed and tells herself, “I’ve found home” (284).

Celeste tugs off the dusty sheet covering the dollhouse and spends days tidying up her new home. The mouse makes a broom out of feathers, sweeps the floors, polishes the chandelier, and inventories the tiny porcelain cups and plates in the dining room. She places a little chair on the attic’s windowsill so that she can look out over the plantation.