I really enjoyed this story of Orsola Rosso and her struggles to become a glassmaker on the Venetian island of Murano.
The time skipping confused me at first as I couldn’t see the point but then I began to enjoy the way that the stories of the same characters played against the different periods of history. This also allowed the author to show us how glassmaking developed over the 500 year span of the novel. The setting was brilliantly evoked and I also liked the way that the real character of Maria Borovier was introduced as a mentor to the young Orsola.
The Glassmaker was a fascinating look into a craft whose beautiful objects are still being created today.
Thank you as always to Net Galley and the publishers Harper Collins UK for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was captivated by the glassmakers of Murano and especially the central character of Orsola as she quietly strove for her place in a male dominated occupation. The concept of 'time skipping' was initially confusing, but it does allow the reader to follow the gradual evolvement of the glass industry across the centuries through the eyes of one family. Descriptions of Venetian life and architecture emphasise the timelessness of that beautiful city and brought back happy memories of visiting there.

The Glassmaker tells the story of the Rosso family through the ages, skipping through the centuries from the Renaissance to the present day. The reader is taken on a journey through fascinating history of glassmaking in Murano, through the vicissitudes of the Rossos, and their experience of plague, war and occupation. A central theme is an unrequited love story but along the way there are marriages and births and deaths, triumphs and disappointments, as the glassmaking trade waxes and wanes and Venice changes from a powerhouse of trade to a tourist destination, vulnerable to the rising sea .

Orsola Rosso takes up beadmaking to help her glassmaker brothers when the business is in difficulties. She is a strong character, well-drawn, as is her brother Marco and her mother, Laura. Orsola's husband, Stefano, and other brother, Giacomo are gentler characters but also portrayed well. The descriptions of Venice - its grandeur fading as the years slip by - is lush and evocative.

This is an engrossing book, full of information about the glass trade and the history of Venice, all of which fits smoothly into the narrative and never feels like too much information.

I am struggling to review this book as I normally love Tracy Chevalier books and indeed saved this one up for a two week holiday which took me via Venice. Far from being a delicious holiday read it was quite a struggle to finish and took me the whole two weeks. I loved the idea of the location being Venice and getting to grips with the minutiae of Murano glass making. It always a joy to learn something new and in great detail in Tracy Chevalier’s historical novels. However, The Glassmaker fell short for me.

There is a lot of Italian in the book. I found out at the end that there is a glossary (many pages worth) of Italian terms but actually many words and phrases used in the book are not in the glossary. Since I was on a Kindle you wouldn't normally find a glossary at the end until you have finished a book – it’s not like flicking through the pages of an actual book. As a result I was distracted often in using translate to understand the dialogue.

My main challenge was the timeshifts. The books starts in 1486 and then moves forward to 1574, 1631, 1755, 1797, 1915, 2019 and finally present day. Orsola, the main character, and some family and friends close to her are still alive in all the time frames but others in the plot die at a natural time along the centuries. It was all really hard to grasp and each new time frame came with a potted history of the major events that had happened since the last one. It’s certainly an innovative plot device but not one to my liking.

The plot itself is quite dark at several points and I found myself wishing I had not chosen to read his on what was supposed to be a happy holiday. The pacing at the ending was rushed and dissatisfying to me.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Another wonderful, amazing book from Tracy Chevalier. In The Glassmaker she uses a 'magic' technique she calls Time alla Veneziana. Whereby the same cast of characters based on Murano move through 500 years of history whilst living one lifetime. Weird you think? Never going to work? Well I didn't think so but, strangely it does. It avoids having to introduce new characters with every time change. It encourages greater bonding with existing characters and allows for the massive timespan seen in the novel. Although everything the characters experience is by no means all sweetness and roses I loved everything about the book and am sure it is one I will return to again and again when I need a little escape from the real world.
P.S. There is a translation of all the Italian/Venetian phrases used in the book at the back. Might save you having to look them all up on translator like I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own

This is such a beautifully magical book. It covers the same family down through the ages, all working glass on the Venetian island of Murano . Well and very cleverly written.

An unusual, entertaining book. This is a story of a family of glass makers on Murano, Venice over 5 hundred years but instead of descendants of the original Rosso family in each time period, Chevalier moves all the characters in time. Orsola is the main character who wants to make glass but as a woman is reduced to making glass beads. During the story she only ages 60 years despite witnessing plague, Napoleon's invasion, wars and finally covid. I was a bit unsure of this ploy at first but it moved the plot along without having to learn new characters. Although there is interesting information about glass making and the history of Venice, Orsola's life and family are the main plot.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of the book.

Orsola Rosso had only known the life of glassmakers in Murano. Used to seeing his father, a maestro, work the glass in his busy workshop his life seems to be reduced to observing and doing the tedious house chores. It will all start to change when Mateo, her older brother, is given the hard task of taking over the workshop after their father's unexpected death. Determined to become herself whilst helping the family, she learns to make beads in her spare time. A Muranese at heart, she will learn to navigate life's obstacles and survive in a harsh and ever-changing environment.

Tracy Chevalier smoothly incorporates very different periods in history throughout the novel, providing us with an insightful view into Venetian and Muranese's experiences at particularly challenging times. By making the main storyline span through events such as the plague, the Austrian rule or the recent COVID epidemic, the author uses Orsola's life and that of her loved ones to illustrate what life may have been like for the glassmakers of Murano. Orsola's tale is ultimately an ode to resistance and meaningful human connections.

I learnt so much about glass making especially glass beads that were made in Murano Italy.

A story that spans 500 years but with the same characters throughout. It takes us from the plague, famine, War, floods and right up to date with Covid. A difficult feat that has been achieved brilliantly.

Venice as it was has been and is now the descriptions given are second to none.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this delightful book.

Orsola Rosso is a glass maker in Murano. Its 1486 and women are not expected to make glass so she works in secret perfecting her skills.
Time skips and we follow Orsola and her family through the centuries. Through love, death, sickness, happiness and change.
Will she ever achieve her dreams?

I loved this book and found that the history and cultures of both Venice and Morano absolutely fascinating. The characters that the book takes through the centuries in a magical way was just enthralling. The story begins with Murano and the basics of glassmaking using the Rosso family as our guides. It covers the building of Venice and how it developed from a small island changing ownership to the French, the Austrians and finally back to Italy and the impact on the peoplecaused by the wars and plague. I loved following Orsola who showed strength andhow the role of women changed over the years.The story is well researched , but then Tracy always does her homework well before she writes, I found the growth of glassmaking and how it spread across Europe so informative. All the characters had a place to play in demonstrating life through the centuries and I just loved the blockbuster of a book.
I would unconditionally reccomend this book to all my friends and anyone who likes reading books that make an impact.

Disappointing as I've enjoyed other Chevalier novels. The setting is promising but the characters and story are too predictable - the girl who wants to succeed in a man's world, the tempestuous but talented older brother, the hot apprentice... The story is weighed down by reams of description and exposition. That's before you get to the excessive use of Italian phrases and the whimsical time travel.

I was hoping more for depth and engagement. Murano glassmaking is fascinating in so many ways - as an art form, as technology, as a trade linking Venice to the wider world. Instead there is lots of detail but not much insight - somehow, the magic isn't there.

'...beads brought colour and beauty...There was a pricelessness to these tiny, hard things. They endured, and retained the history of their owners, and their makers'.

It's the 15th Century, Murano, the 'glass island', across the lagoon from Venice is the world's epicentre for fine glass making - a molten tradition that flows through the generations for families who inhabit the place. Orsola Rosso is the young daughter of such a family. With two older brothers who are apprenticed to their maestro father, she has only a fleeting interest in glass making - besides, it is only men's work. However, a tragic accident throws her family into chaos and potential ruin. Desperate to help save her family's business, their legacy, she finds a solution in making glass beads, 'Beads fill the spaces between things. They don't get in the way. They are inconsquential, and women can make them because of that'. Centuries pass, the world changes, Murano changes, Italy is eventually unified as a country, yet Orsola remains true to her craft and loyal to her family, 'The world is running faster, even in Venice. Except for glass and its makers...'.

'The Glassmaker' is such a wonderfully immersive history of Murano glass and its people. Spanning centuries but also, with a dash of magical realism, only a lifetime, the story underscores how things change yet remain the same- such is the circle of life. I have not read anything from Tracy Chevalier before but I was captivated by her evocation of Venice and Murano throughout the centuries. Historical fiction lovers will enjoy this.

'...the beauty of translucence - the clarity and mystery at the same time'.

The descriptions of Venice, Murano, and the glass-blowing were so beautiful and vivid that it took me back to my visit, despite being only 10 years old when I went. I found myself looking up maps and pictures as I was so taken by the descriptions.

I really enjoyed the historical aspect of the book - there is so much I didn't know about the history of Venice.

I did find it a bit difficult keeping track of who all the characters were as the families expanded. I also didn't realise there was a key to the Italian until I got to it at the end! Most of all, I didn't really understand the time jumps. It came together nicely in the end, but I'm not sure this aspect was needed.

This is a book that I probably wouldn't have picked off the shelf, but I'm very happy to have read it. It was really lovely.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I had high expectations from this book and I don't know why because I am not familiar with Tracy Chevalier's work but unfortunately, I got lost on the way or it could be my interest in glassmaking that's almost non existent. The indie edition looks amazing with its sprayed edges so maybe by having it in my own library I'll give it a try again in the future and I could understand the story better.

death is a reminder that you never recover from losing someone; you just learn to accommodate the hole it makes in you.

I didn't expect it that much of a touching and emotional story! I feel heartbroken and labeled it as made me cry. A very fascinating piece of work by Girl with a Pearl Earring author. Tracy Chevalier's newest novel was a beautiful art that I didn't read like that in this genre for a very long time!

There had been the hurt, and then the memory of the hurt, and finally the memory of the memory, which was where she had been stuck for many years,

The story is set –start– in one of Venice's islands in 1486, Orsola Rosso is nine years old and lives on Murano, on this magical place time passes differently. The City of Water runs by its own clock, frozen in time – The boats may have engines now, but time still seems to run at a different speed from the outside world.

Rosso family, a glassmaker family, I lived with them, cried, laughed, got angry, and cursed like them, as kept company them, especially the narrator Orsola throughout life, a long and magical one!

‘Men are unreliable. It’s best not to get too attached.’

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK for giving me a chance via NetGalley to read this mesmerizing book, I have given my honest review.

She’d heard some say God had sent the virus to force people to change their ways, that this was a giant reset button for humanity. If that was the case, Orsola doubted people would indeed change.

I thought this was a very clever read. By keeping the characters the same type of age yet jumping steps in time you kept your identity and affinity with those characters. That then allowed you to look through 500 years of Venetian life and how the city’s fortunes waxed and waned in that time. You were able to observe the seemingly timeless traditions of the glass industry in Murano yet notice how it was forced to change to adapt to circumstance. And of course there was a love story weaved into the narrative that was realistic rather than using a rose tinted or starry eyed perspective. A really enjoyable novel.

With thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
#TheGlassmaker

An intriguing novel that I imagine will have some staying power.

Though the story itself is not necessarily urgent or gripping in a melodramatic way that some historical fiction can be, it had nuance, detail and solid depth coming from it's characters.

This is another form of storytelling that echoes the power of Chevalier's Girl With the Pearl Earring. As the story weaves itself around a range of eras and centuries of history in Vienna, we encounter the same family and their glass making business. Discussing women, heritage and the impact of nurture in relationships across friendship, family and romance, the first half of this novel in particular is somewhat spellbinding - transporting and immersive.
Venice, 1486 - Murano is the mythical and slightly set apart space we encounter Orsola the protagonist. There is a glint in the imagery and elegiac description of this place that gives early implications that this is not quite on the same bandwidth as the rest of Venice.
Orsola is a young girl when we meet her who quickly is inspired to to become the best glassmaker she can be. Orsola works secretively, aiming to perfect her work to sell to the male merchants. But as readers we must watch and wait as her quest unfolds.
There is a facet of magical realism at play, as Orsola does not just begin her creations and end them in 1400's Venice. She becomes a representative everywoman and hones her craft through plague, war, grief, triumph, love and loss for the centuries up to the present day. Despite the bigger metaphor in play, this is a family saga written in an incredibly adept way.

From the outset, there is easy engagement with the protagonist, and her plight to upkeep the success and income needed from the male-dominated glass making. As she figures out the ways in which beads and more unique items can be made and really upsell the products of her family to ensure their success the feminist undertones are undeniably. A further thing to admire about Chevalier's written style however is that this does not become 'preachy' or 'for effect'. The successes despite the odds being against speak out to the myriad of generations of women or girls either in the timespan of the story or the readership.

In truth - a much better first half which sticks to the 1400's and early 1500's of Venice, where Orsola really finds her feet and deals with an abundance of trials that really hone and shape her resolve. The story - especially in it's final third - meanders a little too obliquely and loses some of that 'hutspa' that is a defining feature of it's first sections.

Ultimately a gripping and engrossing read from Chevalier, with beautiful prose as always. Fans of magical realism will particularly connect with this tale, yet it was an experiment in metaphor and time keeping that perhaps lost it's edge for me...
But then I am not a keen purveyor of the magical realism genre and thus found the cause for jumping so unrealistically across centuries with a character who was actually so real in conception a little unnecessary.

I've read and loved many of Tracy Chevalier's books, but I didn't get on with the last one, A Single Thread. I was hoping that was a blip but, unfortunately, not. Whereas I've always found her writing evocative and the characters interesting, the last two have failed to engage. I've found the writing flat with too much factual explanation instead of letting the reader make discoveries through the narrative, leading to uninspiring characters and dull plot. Such a shame, I think she's gone off the boil with her last two.

This book blew me away! The concept is so unusual and I wasn’t sure if it would work, but it really did and I loved it.

Commencing in 1486, Orsola Rosso is the daughter in the male dominated field of glassmaking on Murano, near Venice. We’re told that time works differently in Venice, and so decades and centuries go by in the outside world, while the Rosso family endure. Plague, occupation, wars, depressions……in The Glassmaker is a history of the craft, the city and those who live there. It’s cleverly written, and I will be highly recommending it.