Published in 2012, Dolly is a novel by the British author Susan Hill. The novel follows the path of a common horror plot - that of a doll that is recognized for more than it is. Most of Hill's books are horror and suspense stories like this one, and the plot of Dolly was likely chosen because of the things dolls represent. Since dolls seem to symbolize childhood, happiness, and innocence, taking something like it and twisting it to darkness creates a horror story, exactly what was intended with this book.
Dolly is a story of flashbacks, with the main characters being Edward and Leonora. Set in the late 19th century, these characters are now adults, and are looking back to a time of innocence and happiness. The doll mentioned in the title and shown on the cover of the book is not mentioned in the beginning of the story, rather coming later in a package sent by Leonora's mother. The gift, given to raging and somewhat insane Leonora, does not release the good in her - instead, it simply releases more of the bad, creating a monstrous disaster for Edward and Aunt Kimbrel, who watches over the two children as their mother is not able to care for them.
Susan Hill is a famous British horror author; she was born in 1942 in North Yorkshire. This area is mentioned in several of her novels and short stories, and inspired her to become a better writing because of the people that lived there. She was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the same year that this book was written, and some of Hill's most famous works include The Woman in Black and The Mist in the Mirror.
