Another beautifully crafted historical masterpiece by Tracy Chevalier who is writing at the top of her form.

Venice and Murano come to life through the decades and centuries and are perhaps the real heroes of this incredible family saga. Not only are the main characters depicted so beautifully and painstakingly but so is their craft and I learned and enjoyed so much about both beads and glass.

There is a truly original literary device employed regarding the aging of the main characters which works quite brilliantly and this is a wonderful book surely bound for fully deserved critical acclaim.

I have always been fascinated by the world of crafts displayed in Tracy Chevalier's novels. Always a different craft, always masterfully woven in the storyline fitting perfectly the plot. This novel is no exception! Even though the time setting is a bit different as it spreads over centuries, with the same characters who grow older but only by a few years instead of centuries. It may seem strange but it worked perfectly: the psychological development of the characters exactly fit the new time period they live in. This enables the reader to follow a (as any) family of glassmakers along with the marking social, political events which affected their craft over the years. No need to create a new set of characters. Very impressive! As for the characters themselves, they are so finely depicted, you can see , hear them. What I also really enjoyed and seems to be characteristic for the author, is the description of the settings, here Venice. Venice is vividly painted along with its own (social, political, architectural)development through the centuries. This was fascinating! I highly recommend this novel!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.