Tracy Chevalier's "The Glassmaker" is like a time-traveling adventure that pulls you into the world of the Rosso family, a clan of glassmakers in 15th-century Venice. Chevalier presents a brilliant portrait of a woman, a family, and a city bound together by their shared passion for glass. 


Orsola Rosso, the eldest daughter, is a force to be reckoned with. She's determined to keep her family's glassmaking legacy alive, despite the challenges she faces as a woman in a male-dominated craft. Throughout the many years, she emerges as a maestra in her own right, carving out a space for herself amidst tradition and innovation as well as the urge for survival. But at its core, this book is all about family. You'll get to know the Rossos inside out—each generation facing its own set of challenges and victories.


What sets this novel apart is Chevalier's ingenious concept of "glass time," a magical element that allows the narrative to span centuries effortlessly. This clever twist adds a fascinating dimension to the story, offering glimpses into different eras and the evolving art of glassmaking.


And how about Chevalier's writing? It's like she's painting with words, describing the colours, the craft, and the whole shebang of glassmaking. Apparently, the topic of glassmaking was suggested to the author by one of her readers, and rightfully so. Chevalier's meticulous research and vivid prose bring the world of glassmaking to life, offering readers a glimpse into the intricate process and artistry involved. Much like her acclaimed work "Girl with a Pearl Earring," Chevalier's descriptions are detailed and immersive, making the reader feel as though they are witnessing the creation of glass art firsthand.

Reading "The Glassmaker" was a sensory experience unlike any other. Chevalier's descriptions were so vivid that I found myself reaching for a necklace I had purchased years ago in Venice, yearning to feel the Murano glass once more.

So, if you're up for a ride through time, filled with family drama, artistic flair, and a touch of magic, you should definitely read “The Glassmaker”.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

Hmmm - I have enjoyed all of Tracy Chevalier’s earlier novels and I think she is an amazing author but for me the time-travel aspect of this book just didn’t work. The story of Orsola and her family in Murano is captivating and the glass-making tradition is explained beautifully. The writing is beautiful and the characters leap off the page - I just don’t feel that the leaps forward in time are necessary and the fact that the main characters only age by 9 or 10 years when the rest of the world is moving forward by decades jars with me. All in all a strange book which sadly did not meet my expectations.

'The City of Water runs by it's own clock' and so we meet the marvellous Orsola Rosso in Renaissance Murano, and follow her and her Rosso family 's lives, into the modern era via plague (and later COVID) , love, loss, wars, heartbreak and of course glass-making. This is a glittering treasure of a book. A love letter to a place and to being creative and how both make time seem to stand slow down. Tracy Chevalier writes with brilliance and skill creating a richly described immersive world. There are a lot of characters and time shifts which in another writer's hands would be overwhelming or confusing, but in Chevalier's it creates an interconnected story of Venice from past to present told through the prism of one family of glassmakers.

Another wonderful Tracy Chevalier novel so beautifully written.Her characters Venice glasswork,time travel all combine to make a mesmerizing read.#netgalley #harperuk

A classic Chevalier weaving meticulous research with an epic tale of love and loss set in Venice, where the use of time travel seamlessly suits the magic of the lagoon city.

1486, Venice and a beautifully woven tale of a family of glass makers living on the island of Murano, where the most famous glass of the time was produced.. Orsola is born into the Rossi family, who live and work there, the men working with glass, while women do everything else, not even allowed in the same room where the glass is handled, But Orsola is different, she will keep the family alive through the years, as they face all the twists and turns of the centuries. Time is skipped, like a stone over water, stopping at various points in history, with the residents of. Murano aging differently to the rest of terra ferma. We learn all about how glass was made, how fashions for it change and the magic of Murano itself. A complex family dynamic that subtly changes over the years, as the Islanders age slowly and differently to the rest of the world.
A fascinating study of the eras the family lives through, with a love story that also lasts over the centuries. I loved the final twist of the story, but my only criticism would be that the final ‘skip’ felt a bit rushed, but what an amazing read, from a unique perspective. Highly recommended. 4 1/2⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What a beautiful book cover, taking you immediately into a world set on water. It's a fascinating, timeless story of the Rossi family, living in Venice in or around 1486. Orsola Rossi flouts all the rules and works secretly as a glassmaker, not normally allowed as a woman's career.. We move with her through the centuries, learning of love and loss, plague and war, and triumph. It is a vividly written book that keeps you wondering what can possibly happen next.
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

In "The Glassmaker," Tracey Chevalier skillfully weaves together different time periods while keeping the characters at a consistent age. This approach offers a captivating exploration of identity and history, prompting readers to reflect on how individuals maintain their core selves amidst changing circumstances. Chevalier's unique narrative technique adds depth to the story, making it both engaging and thought-provoking. I loved it for its creativity and the way it seamlessly blended historical fiction with character-driven storytelling.

The novel tells the captivating story of a family of glassmakers from Murano, whose lives are intricately connected to the fascinating history of Venice and because on Murano, the passage of time takes on a dreamlike quality, as if the island exists in its own temporal dimension.

In this saga, we follow the journey of Orsola Rossi and her extended family, highlighting the challenges they face and the triumphs they achieve.

The traditional glassmaking business is handed down through generations of men, while women are confined to domestic duties. However, when the business begins to decline, Orsola bravely takes up the production of glass beads, enabling necessary support for her family and granting her newfound independence and empowerment. It is worth noting that Maria Barovier played a crucial role in pioneering the creation of exquisite beads.

Throughout the novel, the family endures a series of ups and downs, experiencing love, tragedy, and illness. These events are intricately intertwined with the historical backdrop of Venice. From the discovery of new trade routes to Asia and the New World to the decline of Venice as a trading center and its transformation into a tourist hub, the story encapsulates the city's rich past. It portrays the devastating effects of plagues, the invasions of Napoleon, and the subsequent deterioration under Austrian rule. The great floods and the encroaching sea are also depicted, posing significant challenges to the city's survival. Nevertheless, Venice remains nimble and adapts, relying on its timeless beauty and uniqueness to attract admirers.

Symbolism abounds in this novel, such as the glass dolphins that embody the passionate love between Orsola and Antonio.

Tracy Chevalier, a master storyteller, effortlessly crafts a mesmerizing narrative.

Her vibrant characters and evocative descriptions transport readers to the enchanting world of glass workshops and the picturesque canals of Venice.

This is an uplifting read that comes highly recommended.

I really struggled with this book. I was attracted by the synopsis, which sounded perfect for me, but I had a real problem with the manipulation of the timeline, it just didn’t gel for me, unfortunately. I get what the author was trying to do, I think, but it detracted from the narrative for me, and spoiled its authenticity.
The subject matter, glassmaking in Murano, should have been fascinating, but often became buried in so much minute detail and description about the process, the Italian names for each person and their role in the procedure of glass making, that I lost the thread of the story. The addition of Italian phrases and dialogue, with no additional translation, also interrupted the flow of the narrative. I know there is a glossary, but when reading in an e-reader, it is so clumsy to have to keep coming out of the book to find out what a sentence actually means. It felt like an arrogance by the author, that she should assume that all her readers would have enough knowledge of Italian to translate for themselves.
I only reached a third of the way through this book before I had to give up, sadly.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Wow! Yet another wonderful book. I have always been a fan of Tracey’s work but I think The Glassmaker is the best one yet. A quirky time travel background mixed with realistic characters make for a great read.

I’m struggling to know how to review this book, on the one hand I absolutely loved it, it’s classic Chevalier, this time with her beautiful crafted descriptions of glassmaking, the Island of Murano and Venice. Her characters are well developed and the storyline draws you in and pulls you along. On the other hand the play with the timeline just didn’t work for me and the ending felt rushed and confusing.

The book centres on Orsola Rosso and her family who are Murano glassmakers, it spans 6 centuries, covering significant periods in world history and how they affect the family, the history of glassmaking and Murano itself. For me this is where it felt problematic, because as the timeline shifted, the age of the characters did not. If I hadn’t been so invested in Orsola Rosso and entranced by Chevalier’s beautiful writing I probably wouldn’t have finished the book. This is going to be a marmite book I think!

A spell binding book where time does not matter. We follow Orsola Rosso, a beadmaker from Murano, and her family over 500 years. An interesting foray into glassmaking and Italian life.

Tracy Chevalier is one of the best writers of historical fiction currently working and her latest, The Glassmaker, is no disappointment. Centred around Murano, the island which produces most of the glass that Venice is famed for, the story stretches over 6 centuries but retains the same central characters throughout.

Orsola is part of the Rosso family of glassmakers and becomes involved herself as the maker of glass beads to help the family economically. Chevalier uses the very clever plot device of imagining time working differently in Murano, with the image of a stone skimming down on water at different points in times which are particularly significant to the area, such as the height of Venice’s trading past, the arrival of the plague, Napoleon, the First World War and Covid. The same family are there and hardly aging between any of the events and it’s a beautiful way of expressing how the craft has stayed largely unchanged over the centuries and despite whatever is happening around it.

The detail given of how the glassmaking is carried out is perfectly balanced, very informative but never getting bogged down. Tracy Chevalier does so much research but also seems to actively try the craft herself and that really adds to the knowledge displayed. All the characters and relationships are well developed and feel real, with nobody either entirely perfect or completely flawed. The women are particularly strong and resourceful, taking centre stage for most of the book and adapting to what is happening around them in whatever way they can to ensure their family survives.

As always, Chevalier’s writing is beautiful and you’re completely transported to the place and various times. I loved this book, it really did feel like flowing through the waves of time to somewhere that is so different to anywhere else and where anything seems possible. Truly wonderful.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I've enjoyed a number of Chevalier's previous novels and this one was no exception. I loved the exploration of the history of glass making in the Venetian lagoon (I learned a huge amount) and the setting was well evoked, practically leaping off the page. Characterisation was multi dimensional and I relished seeing character arcs develop over centuries amidst the ever changing Venice. I was totally immersed in this novel and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is another Tracy Chevalier blockbuster of a book. It follows the life of a woman from a glassmaking family on the island of Murano. Orsola learns from a woman in another family how to make glass beads, which are looked down on by her family but bring in necessary money when times are hard. Chevalier plays with the timeline in an interesting way, so that Orsola and her immediate family and close connections seem to live through hundreds of years of time as perceived the world 'outside' her little island community and the parts of Venice she visits. The characters are fully formed and credible and the lives of both men and women in the glassmaking families are well told, as is their dependence on the merchant who commissions and sells their work. As always, this story is well researched and beautifully told and I highly recommend it.

Chevalier is known for historical novels, most notably Girl With A Pearl Earring. This is of that calibre. In fact, the plot construction; in some senses very similar to that book. In 15th century Venice, Orsola is the daughter of a glass worker. When her Father dies in an accident, she becomes one herself to feed the family and it follows her lives and loves throughout the years.

It’s fair to say that this is an efficient, well-written historical novel. Chevalier’s plain, open, storytelling suits a narrative better than most historical novels, which try to copy the style of the period. However, this can often be frustrating as the dialogue shifts into Italian slang (the glossary at the back is useful). On the upside, I can now swear like a Venetian gondolier.

The problem with the novel is its big idea: when Orsola works with glass, time slows down (cheekily compared with reading a book). As a result, she lives through war, revolution, two plagues and a Venice at the sharp end of global warming. That is a hugely original idea, but the fact that it is inferred, rather than explained is a structural problem. One historical character turns up and the use of more could have made the narrative more expansive. Also, our sense of who the characters are changes with the passage of time and that is another issue with it.

In conclusion, this is a better than historical novel than most, but with a bigger, richer narrative suggested. It’s published in the UK by Harper Collins on 12th September and I thank them for a preview copy. #theglassmaker.

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.