First of all, can we take a moment to admire that stunning cover? Just as stunning is the story contained within its pages.
I was totally immersed in the story of Orsola Rosso and those dearest to her whilst I was reading. This is a story which spans more than 500 years and yet has the same characters as the focus of the story. Time moves differently in Venice and Murano, flows like molten glass, and you can say the same for time in this book. Tracy Chevalier has chosen a very clever way of keeping her characters at the centre of her book and while it’s perhaps not plausible in the real world, it works very effectively here.
I heard the author talk about The Glassmaker at the Edinburgh Book Festival recently and she spoke of how she was inspired to write about glassmaking when she learned of the few women glassmakers in an industry heavily dominated by men. Rather than be constrained by facts if she was writing about the women she researched, she chose instead to create the character of Orsola while including a real historical figure, Marietta Barovier the creator of the Rosetta Bead, as a mentor to her protagonist. This gave her freedom to use her imagination blending facts and fiction, and she has used her storytelling skills so creatively throughout the book.
The author clearly has a love of Venice and personal knowledge of ‘La Serenissima‘ and the nearby islands which she uses to great effect in the book. The way she has depicted Venice brings the sights, sounds and smells of the city vividly onto the page. Whatever the time period being written about, I felt I could imagine the heat of the workshops, the smell of the molten glass, the beauty of the city, the bustle of the markets and the songs and cries of the gondoliers. It was fascinating to read about the glassmaking industry and how crucial it was to Murano. I also learned a lot about Venetian history through the centuries which I didn’t know. The time period covered meant that Venice saw huge changes and yet some things remained the same: how much the people relied on trade (now tourism) for survival, the constant threat of rising waters, the way women have to prove themselves time and again.
The Glassmaker is a beautifully written book with memorable characters whether from Orsola’s extensive family or from those they meet including some rather famous names in history such as Casanova and Empress Josephine. It’s a story of enduring love in many forms. I so enjoyed reading about Orosola as she faced challenges and change and each time proved her resourcefulness. I loved this book just as much as I had anticipated. A wonderful read from one of my favourite historical fiction writers.
My thanks to the publisher Borough Press for my digital review copy from Netgalley. The Glassmaker is available now in hardback, audiobook and digital formats. The paperback will follow in May next year.
About the Book
Venice, 1486. Across the lagoon lies Murano. Time flows differently here – like the glass the island’s maestros spend their lives learning to handle.
Women are not meant to work with glass, but Orsola Rosso flouts convention to save her family from ruin. She works in secret, knowing her creations must be perfect to be accepted by men. But perfection may take a lifetime.
Skipping like a stone through the centuries, we follow Orsola as she hones her craft through war and plague, tragedy and triumph, love and loss.
The beads she creates will adorn the necks of empresses and courtesans from Paris to Vienna – but will she ever earn the respect of those closest to her?
Tracy Chevalier is a master of her own craft, and The Glassmaker is vivid, inventive, spellbinding: a virtuoso portrait of a woman, a family and a city that are as everlasting as their glass.
About the Author
Tracy is the author of 11 novels, including the international bestseller GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, which has sold over 5 million copies and been made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. American by birth, British by geography, she lives in London and Dorset. Her latest novel, THE GLASSMAKER, is set in Venice and follows a family of glass masters over the course of 5 centuries.