The Glassmaker

 The Glassmaker

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       January 9, 2025

 

Author  Tracey Chevalier

Distributor:      Booktopia
ISBN:                 9780008687038
Publisher:         Harper Collins. Imprint The Borough Press
Release Date:   July 2024  

   Website:   https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-glassmaker-tracy-chevalier/book/9780008701307.html

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The Glassmaker is a captivating Historic Fiction in which Tracy Chevalier explains how she became fascinated with Venice, then Murano and then the practice of glass blowing. She discovered that women were not allowed to enter the trade, but for various reasons there were a few women who mastered the art.

She wanted to tell a story of the history of Venice from the 14 hundred’s as well as using the same characters to show the family tradition. What a dilemma! So, using a device of a skimming pebble, she skims through the ages but doesn’t age her characters. It works!

The Glassmaker begins in 1486 with the main character Orsola falling into a canal with a helpful push from her brother Marco. They belong to the Rosso family who have been glassblowers by trade for generations. However, after an accident Orsola’s father dies and Marco is left to take over the workshop.

 As he is not the skilled worker his father was, and times are hard, the family is living in poverty. Orsola meets a woman who is a glass blower. She gives the lass a glass bead and says you will need to learn to make these if your family is to survive. The descriptions of how Orsola goes about learning how to manage the glass and how to mix colours is fascinating.

Though the passage of time we see Venice suffer with the plague, poverty, Napoleon, and trade tariffs. Gradually tourists return and the glass from Murano is valued for its uniqueness. By this time Orsola has married, had children and grandchildren.

We follow the social structure of their small community on Murano and watch as they gradually branch out into Venice mainland. The combination of History and the glass blowing is quite compelling.

The Glassmaker is an unsolicited review.

Fiction, Historical