This transporting story of love and struggle spans the 15th century to the 21st, offering a window into the intrigues of Venetian glass and the families who make it. The Glassmaker follows Orsola Rosso, a fiery young woman with a sharp tongue and dreams of being a glassmaker in a time when the craft is an exclusively male space.
The novel opens in Renaissance Italy, when Orsola is a young girl. Her father dies in an accident, leaving her headstrong and impulsive brother, Marco, to lead the family's workshop. This is the first of many trials for the Rosso family, which endures uncannily through centuries, from the Black Plague through both world wars. Venice and its surrounding islands exist in a kind of time bubble, a fascinating premise that allows for a high-speed history lesson. Readers will learn about the rise and decline of Venetian glass while being swept up in Orsola's story.
Tracy Chevalier (Girl with a Pearl Earring; Remarkable Creatures) impressively imagines a character who lives through vast historical and cultural changes, conveying not only how her perspective would naturally shift but also the habits and views she might hold. Orsola is both admirable and flawed, fully rendered in three dimensions.
At the center of the novel is the idea of making art that matters--and endures. Orsola and her family value artistry and the creation of new, unique glass pieces. For fans of thoroughly researched and immersive historical fiction, The Glassmaker is a moving rendering of Venetian history, the allure of art, and a life fully lived. --Carol Caley, writer